Of Life and Death
by WhoMe-2
Summary: Sequel to "Lost and Found." As the Doctor and Rose await the birth of their child, an enemy arises and threatens to destroy all the Doctor holds dear. **4th in As It Should Be series**
1. Chapter 1

**A/N **I decided this 'verse needed one last story before I could consider it complete. This follows after "Lost and Found." Initial fluff, but warning for darkness and some violence later on, though not gratuitous.

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Doctor Who. All rights belong to the BBC.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Rose woke to the soft sound of the Doctor's voice, speaking somewhere near the vicinity of her belly. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep, and was greeted by the sight of the Doctor's spiky-haired head hovering over her stomach.

"And just wait until you see the planet Traal!" he enthused. "The sand on the beach sparkles like diamonds, and mermaids come to play with you on the shore." Rose smiled inwardly as he tilted his head in thought and went off on one of his little rambles. "Weeell, I say 'mermaids' but you have to remember there are also mer_men_ as well. I've found they can actually be a bit of a moody lot if you confuse the two. Now _that_ can get you into a bit of a tricky situation…" He trailed off in thought, obviously recalling just such an incident. "But, back to the point. Oh, there are so many things we're going to see and do. The three of us are going to have the most fantastic life. Just you see. I'm going to see to it that you have the kind of life I never did. And one day the TARDIS will be yours, and you'll carry on defending the universe, just like your mum and me," he said wistfully. "I'll teach you the Laws of Time and you'll carry on the legacy of the Time Lords."

Rose smiled softly, reaching down to run her fingers through his hair. He looked up at her, his eyes sparkling, and shifted forward to give her a soft kiss.

The Doctor had been in a state of awe throughout the pregnancy. There was no other way to describe it. He was fascinated by the entire process. The children he'd had centuries ago on Gallifrey had been loomed, so this was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. This was intimate. This was fragile. This was not without pain and not without difficulty, yet it was worth it even still. So, so much. And he relished every moment of it.

"Good morning," he greeted the woman responsible for giving him this, as he pulled back from the kiss.

"G'morning," Rose echoed.

He wrapped her in his arms. She snuggled close and traced lazy patterns on his bare chest.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, while gently stroking her hair.

"'S okay," she replied. "I was enjoying the view. I like watching you talk to the baby." Rose smiled. "She likes it, too."

"Mmm," he agreed. "She's very attentive, even at this stage. I could feel that she was awake, and she reached out and brushed my mind. I think she was wanting some attention," he said, as he placed a kiss to Rose's head.

Rose tilted her chin to look up at him. "Will we always have this close connection with her?"

"In the beginning. As she gets older I'll teach her how to use her barriers so she'll have control over her link to us. But we'll always be able to sense her, just as she will us."

The Doctor placed his hand on Rose's swollen belly and stroked it gently through the soft white cotton of her gown. "It won't be much longer now," he said, his voice tinged with excitement. "Three more weeks and she'll make her entrance into the universe."

Rose laid her head back down on his chest and sighed. "A part of me wishes I could keep her inside me forever. Keep her protected." Then she smiled up at him. "But I can't wait to see her. She's gonna have your big round eyes and bubbling enthusiasm. And I can't wait to hold her in my arms." She shifted a little as she tried to find a more comfortable position. "I also can't wait to be able to breathe properly again. And to look down and actually be able to see my feet. And not have to pop to the loo every twenty minutes!"

He chuckled softly. "You have been brilliant throughout this pregnancy, Rose. All those biological changes and barely a complaint. And have I told you how attractive you are like this?" he asked, while waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Rose snorted. "I look like a beached whale!" Then she frowned. "And I've started to waddle when I walk."

The Doctor shook his head. "It's not waddling. It's called swaggering seductively," he said with a wink. Then he leaned closer and dropped his voice an octave as he spoke. "And you know I haven't been able to keep my hands off you like this."

Rose snickered. "You weren't able to keep your hands off me _before_, and that's what got us here."

"True," he agreed. "You're irresistible to me whether you're swollen with my child or not." He leaned forward and captured her lips with his own as he sank back with her into the pillows. He then proceeded to give a detailed demonstration of his point.

Since Rose had reached her eighth month of pregnancy, she had begun to feel a little self-conscious about her weight, even though the gain had been minimal. The Doctor had actually been a little concerned about it. Carrying a part Time Lord baby had been more physically demanding than a human pregnancy would have been. Much to the Doctor's concern, she had actually lost weight during the first four months. But she now had an adorable and undeniable baby-bump, and the Doctor wasn't exaggerating when he told her how attractive she was to him like this.

Rose sighed contentedly in the Doctor's arms an hour later after he had quite thoroughly proven his point.

"I think," she said slowly, as she ran her foot up and down his calf, "that I could just spend all day right here."

The Doctor hummed happily in response. "No complaints from me."

Then she let out a frustrated groan. "Unfortunately, my bladder has other ideas."

The Doctor grinned and sat up to enjoy the view as she 'swaggered seductively' to the bathroom. He soon followed and joined her for a leisurely shower, then afterwards went to fix breakfast while Rose dried her hair and got dressed for the day.

She came out of the en-suite wearing a pair of jeans (she never knew she could fall in love with elastic waistbands) and a pink t-shirt that proudly displayed the words _Made by the Doctor and Rose_ across the tummy. It was a gift from Jake at the baby shower Torchwood had thrown for her.

A grin lit up Rose's face as she crossed back into the bedroom and saw a fully prepared breakfast in bed waiting for her.

"Breakfast is served," the Doctor announced as he lifted the tray for her to slide beneath. She made herself comfortable on the bed as he placed the tray over her lap.

"You know," Rose began, as she took a bite of a juicy strawberry, then fed the rest to the Doctor, "we're really gonna have to decide on a name pretty soon. We can't just keep calling her _The_ _Baby. _Even though her father is fond of titles," she added with a teasing smirk.

"Weeell, if you would just agree to _my_ idea," he suggested, while returning the favor and placing a succulent, bright red strawberry in her mouth, "the issue would be solved."

Rose shook her head. "One Rose in the family is enough," she stated firmly.

The Doctor pouted. "But we could call her Rosie. The subtle difference would avoid confusion while maintaining like appellation. It would be perfect."

"I thought we at least had that settled. We agreed on Rose for a _middle_ name, but not the first."

He sighed. "Fine. Then we'll just go with my second choice for a first name."

She shook her head again. "No. I told you, we're not starting a flower theme here. We are _not_ naming her Lily Rose."

"But we could start a whole horticultural theme! Just think – there could be Lily, Pansy, Petunia, Violet, Iris, Daisy, Tuli – _mmph_!"

Rose stuffed a piece of jam-covered toast in his mouth and cut him off before the discussion got further out of hand.

"Tulip? Seriously?" She snorted in laughter as the Doctor frowned and chewed. "And before you go making grand plans for 'planting' an entire flower garden, let's just see how it goes with this one first."

He swallowed the large bite of toast, running his tongue slowly around his lips as he smiled seductively. "Considering you and I have a few centuries of wedded bliss ahead of us, I think I may just get my garden yet."

"Oh, you think so, do you?" she questioned playfully.

He eased her back onto the pillows and proceeded to kiss her senseless. He pulled back and gave her his mega-watt grin. "Oh, yes!"

Once Rose had recovered from his unexpected (but very welcome) assault on her lips, she continued the conversation of names.

"Should we give her a Gallifreyan name, too?" she asked. "How does that work?"

The Doctor began to explain between bites of his breakfast. "A Time Lord's name at birth isn't the one that's chosen later in life. At first, it's simply a combination of both parent's names. So her first Gallifreyan name would be a combination of yours and mine – yours, of course, translated into Gallifreyan." He pondered the practicalities of such an idea while taking another bite. "Of course, it _would_ be a bit difficult to pronounce." He continued his explanation. "But then after graduation from the Academy, Time Lords would choose their own name."

"Like you chose 'The Doctor'?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

Rose smiled and reached up to touch his cheek. "It was a perfect choice – the man who makes people better." He smiled back and turned his face to kiss her palm. There was a time he thought he'd lost the rights to such a title, after the war and destruction wrought by his own hand. Then Rose Tyler happened into his life. "I wonder if she'll choose a name like that for herself when she's older," Rose pondered. "She could be 'The Nurse'," she teased.

The Doctor gave her an affronted look. "And you dared to criticize the suggestion of Tulip?"

She began to laugh, but was cut off quite effectively by his mouth on hers once more.

-:-

After breakfast, the two were ready to officially being their day. The Doctor told Rose he had a surprise destination in mind. She stood expectantly beside him in the console room as he landed the TARDIS.

"So, where are we then?" she asked excitedly, that thrill of new discovery never growing old.

He grinned proudly and rocked back and forth on his heels. "We," he announced flamboyantly, "have arrived on the magnificent planet of Thalasia. It's a leisure planet." He then tugged on his ear in thought. "I haven't always had the best of luck with leisure planets, though. But! This one isn't made of diamonds and doesn't have extonic sunlight, so it should be perfectly safe this time around."

Rose grinned broadly. "A leisure planet! Oh, that sounds lovely. So long as they aren't…you know…at war, or anything."

He looked at her blankly. "Why would they be at war?"

She shrugged. "You're the pilot. Tends to happen when aiming for peace and quiet."

"Oi!"

Snickering inwardly and ignoring his wounded pride, she glanced down at her attire. "When you say leisure planet, just how posh are we talking about? Will this do?" she asked, gesturing to her outfit.

"There's no dress code," he assured her. "They're accustomed to all the various types of fashion from numerous species. They've seen it all." He stepped closer and placed his hand on the small of her back, drawing her close. "So to answer your question," he husked in a low tone, "the t-shirt stays."

Rose smirked. "You like this shirt, don't you?"

He quirked his lips into a smile and placed his other hand on her belly. "I do. And I especially love what's underneath it."

"Do you realize how sappy you've become?" she teased.

"Hmmm," he replied thoughtfully. "I'd say it's a side-effect of being madly in love with a human." He sighed dramatically. "I _knew_ there'd be a price to pay."

"You're a nutter," she chuckled. "But you're _my_ nutter."

His grin matched her own as he took her hand and led her down the ramp.

He creaked opened the blue door to reveal a beautiful coastal city beyond. The vista was stunning. The architecture of the city's buildings had an element of grandeur with their large, marble pillars and sweeping porticos overlooking the ocean. Rose had never seen such sparkling, clear water in vivid aqua, contrasted by the white, almost gleaming sand.

"Oh, this is beautiful," Rose breathed.

A woman who Rose thought closely resembled a human came forward to greet them. She was wearing a beautiful, toga-style dress made of a silky material in a deep, golden hue.

"Welcome to Thalasia," she said warmly.

The Doctor raised his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Hello," he greeted cheerily. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose, and inside Rose is the yet-unnamed product of our unmatched abilities of procreation."

Rose blushed and elbowed her nattering alien husband in the ribs.

The woman simply smiled politely. "My name is Mara."

"It's lovely to meet you, Mara," Rose responded.

"And how long will we have the pleasure of your stay?"

The Doctor looked to Rose. They never remained in one place too long. "A day?" he suggested.

She grinned and nodded. "Perfect."

"A day's stay with unlimited access to all sites will sum 15 Drassels. Or 30 credits, if you use universal currency."

"30 credits it is," the Doctor agreed, digging in his trouser pocket and produce a credit chip.

"Now then," Mara went on, "I will be your guide while here and see that your every need is attended to during your stay. It is our purpose on Thalasia to fulfill your every desire."

Rose's eyes twinkled as she linked her arm with the Doctor's and smiled up at him. "Oh, he does a proper job of that. But thank you. That's very kind of you. I can tell I'm gonna love it here already."

Mara smiled. "I believe know exactly what you would like. Please, come with me."

Ambling beneath the warm sun and gentle breeze, she led them through the populated city and in the direction of one of the large central buildings as the Doctor began explaining to Rose about the indigenous Thalasians.

"They're a telepathic race with acute perception. They can sense your every wish."

Rose looked a little concerned upon hearing this. It was one thing to have a telepathic bond mate. It was quite another to experience such potential exposure with strangers. "You mean, they can get inside my head and read my thoughts?"

"Oh, no, not like that," he assured her. "They have heightened perception and remarkable abilities, but they wouldn't invade your thoughts. But they do use it to fulfill your wishes."

Rose relaxed a little.

They soon entered a palatial white stone building overlooking the ocean, and were shown to a dressing room where they changed into plush, royal blue robes. They were then led to an opulent spa where attendants were waiting to give them a side-by-side massage. Apparently they _had_ sensed Rose's desires, because there was nothing she could have wanted more at the moment. A special table was even present to accommodate her pregnant belly. The Doctor and Rose were both made comfortable, and the aroma of exotic oils filled the room as the blissful experience began.

Rose sighed dreamily as the tight knots and kinks were worked out of her aching muscles. The Doctor smiled gently at her.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Mmm, very much," she replied sleepily, the aches in her body melting away.

As much as she herself was enjoying it, and he was enjoying that fact, she knew this wasn't exactly the Doctor's thing. He was doing it for her and she loved him for it. He had been so attentive to her every need throughout the pregnancy. And though they didn't often speak of the incident because it was now behind them, she knew he still felt a shadow of regret over the incident that occurred early in her pregnancy. Their journeys were not always as smooth as today's, and when their more recent memories had been temporarily wiped by a hostile race, and Rose was subsequently discovered to be pregnant with his child, neither having the memory of how it had happened or of even being in such a relationship, the Doctor had _not_ reacted in the best of ways. He had been terrified and had run from his feelings, while pushing Rose aside in the process.

It had been difficult and painful, but once it was all over Rose understood and forgave him completely. The Doctor, however, had a harder time forgiving himself. Today was an unspoken reminder of that.

-:-

Rose eventually drifted off to sleep on the massage table, and woke afterwards feeling more relaxed than she had in months. She was then treated to the most luxurious facial she'd ever received. The Doctor didn't participate in this particular activity, though. Sharing a massage was one thing, but sharing a facial would be going just a bit too far out of his Time Lord zone. Instead, he left Rose to continue being pampered while he went exploring to find the perfect restaurant for dinner.

Mara watched The Doctor leave, gazing intently at him. She needed to speak with him – needed to warn him. From the moment this couple arrived, she could sense something ominous looming about them, and it intensified the longer they were near. Something was coming. Something dark. But she decided it was best to wait until they had finished enjoying their time here. Let them have this time of happiness while it could still be found.

-:-

After being lavishly pampered for most of the day, Rose changed back into her original clothes, and the Doctor returned to escort her to the restaurant he had chosen for them, situated on the beach.

The sun was beginning to set in the sky as they were seated at a private table on the restaurant's terrace. It was an enchanted setting. Rose was captivated just by the lighting which softly illuminated the intimate space. Small, shimmering balls floated above, hovering like fireflies on a summer night. Adding to the encompassing serenity was the warm breeze from the ocean, which softly caressed the air as the sound of the surf lapped gently on the shore.

Their food was promptly served, and once the attendant left, Rose looked at the food before her and leaned forward to whisper to the Doctor. "But they didn't even take our order first," she stated in confusion.

"No need," he explained. "They serve exactly what you're craving at the time. Clever, that. Empathic restaurant staff can be quite efficient."

She surveyed the food before them. "Then why don't I see a banana in front of you?" she teased lightly.

"And why don't I see chips in front of you?" he replied back with a grin. "The food may not look like anything you recognize, but I can assure you, you'll be quite pleased with the taste."

Much to her delight, she found that he had been exactly right. She had been craving mashed potatoes, and the pink-hued soufflé dish tasted exactly like the spuds she'd been hankering, with ample amounts of cream, butter and a dash of rosemary. There was also the restaurant's version of Cassoulet – rich and satisfying. They might not have been the most extravagant selections for fine dining, but the meal perfectly hit the spot, and she polished off every last bite. As for dessert, the decadent chocolate confection they each shared was sublime.

Once the meal was finished, Rose reached across the table and took the Doctor's hand.

"Thank you. For everything," she said softly.

He stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "Rose, you don't have to thank me. I'd do anything for you, you know that." he replied, gazing deeply in her warm caramel eyes.

After dinner, they went for a moonlit walk along the beach, kicking their shoes off to stroll barefoot in the white powdery sand. They came to a stop at the water's edge and gazed out at the ocean, the twin moons of Thalasia glinting upon the surface of the water. The Doctor stood behind Rose with his arms around her waist and his hands stroking her prominent belly.

"Do you want to stay the night?" he offered quietly. "It doesn't have to be a one day trip if you'd like to remain longer. We can stay as long as you'd like."

She leaned her head against his chest, settling into his embrace. Rose considered this, but her mind focused on thoughts of their awaiting bedroom aboard the TARDIS – its stately bed with sacred Gallifreyan carvings and sumptuous burgundy linens embossed with fine threads of gold, the colors reminiscent of those representing the ancient, lost world, with the ceiling above depicting the constellation of Kasterborous itself. It was their sanctuary. "I love it here. I really do. And I _definitely_ want to come back again sometime. But I think I want to go back to the TARDIS. It's home. I love our bedroom more than anywhere else in the galaxy, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be tonight."

He smiled down at her. "Quite right, too."

They eventually made their way back to the TARDIS hand-in-hand. As they approached the area where they first arrived, they were greeted again by Mara and another woman standing with her.

"Rose, this is Jaleah," Mara said, introducing the woman beside her. "We would like to give you a parting gift as a remembrance of your time here. If you would care to accompany her for just one moment, she will be happy to give it to you."

The Doctor released her hand. "Go ahead," he encouraged. "I'll wait here for you."

Rose smiled and followed the young woman back to the spa they had visited earlier in the day. Once inside, Jaleah brought out a dress like the one Mara wore and a bottle of the fragranced oil used for the massage.

"These are for you," she said. "We knew you admired the dress and also enjoyed the fragrance of the oil."

Rose shook her head in slight astonishment as she accepted the gifts. "Thank you. I s'pose I don't even have to ask how you knew," she added with a smile. "This is so kind, and I'm very grateful."

She was already imagining the Doctor putting the oil to good use as a shiver of desire went through her.

Jaleah took Rose's hand, a solemn look coming over her face, her tone somber. "Journey safely."

Rose was slightly taken aback by the woman's shift in mood. "Yeah, we will," she replied, a bit bemused.

Back outside, Mara took the opportunity to speak with the Doctor. "I hope you both enjoyed your time here."

He smiled. "Very much, thank you."

Mara's eyes suddenly became intense, her tone grave. "Doctor, I must warn you."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. "Of what?"

"He is waiting."

A look of concern etched itself across the Doctor's face. "What do you mean? Who is 'he'?"

"You do not yet know him, but he knows of you; and he has been watching. He is waiting in the shadows and seeks to destroy the Child of Time. You must protect them both – the wolf and her cub."

"What do you mean by that?" the Doctor demanded, his pulse now racing.

"I wish I could reveal more, but that is all I know. Take heed, Time Lord."


	2. Chapter 2

Just as Mara finished speaking her warning to the Doctor, Rose returned carrying the parting gifts she had been given. The Doctor and Rose bid their Thalasian guide farewell and returned to the TARDIS. The Doctor decided it best to keep the cryptic warning to himself for the time being. He didn't want to worry Rose unnecessarily, and she already had more than enough on her mind with the approaching birth of their part Time Lord child.

It had been a long day, and Rose drifted off to sleep that night without difficulty. The Doctor, however, was finding it difficult to fall into his sleep cycle. He usually only needed a few hours of rest, and could often go without even that. But since being married to Rose, he had fallen into the routine of sleeping about three hours each night. The rest of the time he would spend holding her, just content to watch her sleep; or sometimes seduce her awake when just holding her wasn't enough — or rather, became too much and he needed more. But of course, Rose needed her sleep, so he couldn't do that every night. Often he would read to distract himself from the temptation. Lately he had been studying Gallifreyan childbirth. There was little he could find on the subject considering most were loomed, and there was even less reference material pertaining to human/Time Lord pregnancies. But even with the lack of research he was able to do on the subject, he was reasonably sure that he could ensure the safety of Rose and the baby and didn't expect any unusual difficulties. At least that's what he hoped.

But possible concerns over the impending birth was not the only issue keeping him awake that night. After Rose had fallen asleep, he lay there feeling restless and very uneasy as he pondered Mara's warning. He was certain the empath had been sincere. Chillingly so. There _was_ something in the air — he could feel it. Something was approaching. Before, he had written off his uneasiness as simply nervousness about the pregnancy and birth. But this was something more. He could sense it.

The night crept on as his mind churned.

-:-

The Doctor had eventually managed to fall asleep at some point, and when he woke, he realized that Rose was no longer in bed beside him. Bleary eyes focused on the side of the bed normally occupied by his human mate. No Rose. He looked to the en-suite, which was dark. He reached for her through their link and could sense she was in the nursery. He could also feel that something was troubling her. He realized this must have been what woke him. The Doctor swung his long legs over the side of the bed and stood. Not bothering to grab a dressing gown, he left the room clad in his boxerbriefs and cotton undershirt as he went find her.

The nursery itself had been a surprise for them both. A few months before, they had discovered that their young TARDIS had created a room for the baby next to their own. Within stood a beautiful crib made of the same wood as their bed, with spiraling Gallifreyan script relating an ancient tale of Kasterborous, told to children of old. Beside the crib sat a matching rocking chair, where this extraordinary child would soon be lulled to sleep, not yet carrying the weight of the universe – its innocent existence consisting only of love and protection. On the central wall of the nursery there was a stunning mural of a hillside with lush, red grass and a depiction of a large tree whose grand, silver leaves stretched up to the ceiling. The color of the ceiling itself was a soft, orange shade reminiscent of the Gallifreyan sky.

The Doctor stepped through the doorway into the softly-lit room and saw Rose sitting in the chair beside the crib. She looked up at him and quickly tried to wipe away the tears that had been trailing down her cheeks. He walked over to her and knelt down, taking her hands in his.

"What's wrong, love? What is it?" he asked softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face which obscured her eyes from his.

Rose sniffed and shook her head. "'S nothing. Really. 'M fine. I'm just...I dunno."

"You'll feel better if you talk about it," he encouraged gently. The Doctor knew better than anyone that locking up feelings inside did nothing to erase them. "You know you can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath, and her words came out in a rush. "I'm scared! I'm so scared," she confessed, her voice trembling. "I don't think I'm ready to be a mum. I don't know the first thing about it. You've been a father before — I'm sure it'll come easy for you. But I don't know anything about being a parent. And especially to a child that's part Time Lord. She's gonna be a genius like you. She'll probably be smarter than me when she's five! How can I possibly parent a child like that?"

The Doctor rose up on his knees and hugged her tightly. "It's alright, Rose. Everything's going to be fine," he reassured soothingly. Then he pulled back and took her face in his hands as he spoke with conviction. "I may have been a father before, but it was _nothing_ like this. Children on Gallifrey were loomed. It was all very clinical. And then they were taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. So I've never experienced being a father in quite this way. Not at all. But we'll learn this _together_," he assured her. Rose listened quietly, attempting to draw comfort from his words.

"And you know what?" he continued. "Our daughter is going to be the luckiest child in the universe to have you for her mother. You're going to be fantastic, Rose!" he insisted. "And she may have superior intelligence compared to most children, but it's not possible for her to be smarter than you because you are one of the most brilliant women I have ever known. She'll no doubt be precocious, but she'll be smart enough to know how to behave herself."

"Were you well-behaved?" Rose asked hopefully.

He coughed and diverted the question. "Weren't you?"

Her face fell. "Right. Now I know we're doomed." He smirked slightly.

"But that's…not all I've been thinking about," she continued. "I know it sounds daft, but I want her to stay inside me where she's safe. Out there, anything could happen to her. And now that she's been a part of me for so long, I'll feel empty without her. But at the same time I just want the pregnancy over with. I'm tired all the time, my back hurts, my ankles are swollen — and the next few weeks are only gonna get worse." She shook her head miserably. "See? I don't even know what I want. I'm an emotional wreck!"

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "What you're feeling is perfectly normal, Rose," he assured her.

Rose exhaled deeply and continued opening up to him about her fears. She'd had these feelings before but managed to brush them aside. With the birth now just weeks away, she was finding these thoughts harder to ignore. But it helped just getting this off her chest.

"There's something else that scares me," she confided. "I...," she hesitated and bit her bottom lip. "I don't want to give birth. I don't! I just don't. I've led missions for Torchwood, been shot, catapulted across universes with the Dimension Cannon, seen hell on earth. But _this_ scares me more than anything else I've faced. I saw Mum go through that with Tony, and I just don't know if I can do it. But she's coming and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it, and it scares me."

The Doctor pulled her into his arms. She was so strong, his Rose. Sometimes he saw her as Defender of the Earth, the woman who made him better, the woman who had found him again against all odds. It was easy to forget that sometimes she could experience fear like anyone else in the universe. She certainly had that right.

"Shhh," he soothed. "It's okay. I know you're scared, and you have every right to be. But I also know you can do this, Rose. Although, if I could have this child for you, I would."

She sniffed and raised her chin to look at him. "Really?"

He tilted his head to the side as he reconsidered. "Well, it would be fascinating to experience growing another living being inside; but I understand your fear of giving birth. I think I'd rather face down a horde of hungry Absorbaloffs."

She laughed softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too. And you can do this. I can't promise that giving birth is going to be easy, but you won't go through it alone. I'll be there with you every step of the way," he promised. "And remember, I can try to give you something for the pain."

She quickly shook her head. "No. We've already talked about that. It's just too risky. There are too many unknowns with a human/Time Lord birth. Just an aspirin could kill her. I'm not gonna take any chances."

"But I've been giving this some thought, Rose, and I think there's something else we could try. Because of the connection we have through our bond, I can try to take on some of the pain. I could then block it, at least to some extent, and impart that block to you. It wouldn't completely take away the pain, but it should help to ease it. If you could focus on imparting your feelings to me while you're in labor, I think it might work."

Rose frowned. "But I don't want to cause you pain."

The Doctor smiled as he hugged her close once more, tucking her head beneath his chin. "I think it's only fair. We're equal partners in this procreational endeavor. Besides, I have a feeling you'll change your mind once you're in labor and the contractions set in."

"Maybe," she mumbled against his chest.

He slipped his hand in hers and lifted her to stand with him. "C'mon, you need some sleep. You'll feel much better in the morning, I promise." Rose nodded as she walked with him back to bed.

He fought to repress his own growing feelings of concern so Rose would not pick up on his anxiety. The last thing he wanted to do was give her one more thing to worry about.

He and Rose settled back in bed, and the Doctor sent her feelings of love and reassurance as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

-:-

The next morning, The Doctor informed Rose that he had another surprise destination in mind. Her mood lifted considerably at the prospect. The diversion of exotic locales helped serve as a distraction from her recent anxieties.

The Doctor, however, knew that she needed more than simple distractions. She needed something he couldn't quite give her himself.

The TARDIS landed and Rose eagerly made her way down the ramp to see where he had taken her. She opened the door, and could not have been more delighted to see they had materialized right in the middle of her mum and dad's living room.

She turned back to him, beaming, and gave him an enveloping hug. "Thank you," she murmured into his neck.

"Well, I suppose we were overdue for a visit. And I thought you might be missing your mum."

The Doctor was doing all he could to be supportive and reassuring, but there was no substitute for a mother's guidance, especially at times like this.

It wasn't long before a very sleepy looking Jackie and Pete made their way downstairs.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck in an uneasy manner. "We may have arrived just a wee bit early," he stated sheepishly.

"Oh, I don't care!" Jackie responded back happily. "I'm just glad to see you!" She rushed forward and gave Rose a hug, then placed a hand over her daughter's swollen belly. "Oh, look at you, sweetheart. You're so beautiful!"

"You certainly are, love," Pete agreed. "Just like your mum at that stage – never more gorgeous."

The Doctor gave Rose a wink. "Told you."

He might have had to take a decidedly human approach to do it, but the Time Lord could see the beginnings of success. Rose's spirits were definitely lifting.

-:-

After breakfast and getting Tony off to nursery school, Jackie and Rose sat down together for a cup of tea and a nice long chat while the Doctor joined Pete in the study, allowing the woman to discuss things that were admittedly out of their realm.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Jackie asked, lifting a steaming mug of Earl Grey to her lips.

"I'm fine, Mum," Rose assured her. "The Doctor's taking excellent care of me."

"I'm still worried about the idea of him delivering the baby," she confessed. "Are you sure he's qualified?"

"He's more than qualified, Mum. And it's not like I could go to hospital to have the baby. As soon as they found out about us, they'd probably lock us away for testing or something."

"But you could have the baby at Torchwood Medical. The doctors there already know about you."

"Yeah, I could, but the Doctor is more qualified than all of them put together. And even with their technology, the TARDIS infirmary is still much more advanced."

Jackie sighed. "I suppose you're right. I just want to make sure you'll be getting the best possible care."

Rose squeezed her hand. "I will be, Mum."

"Is he gonna be able to give you anything for the pain?" she asked.

"We've been talking about that. The Doctor is gonna try to use our mental connection to take on some of the pain himself while I'm in labor, and then block it for me — at least partially."

Jackie snorted in laughter. "Oh, now _that_ I'd love to see! I wish I could've done that to Pete!"

Rose smiled. "It's not something most men would offer to do, but that's the Doctor for you. A non-conformer all the way."

Jackie pondered the assessment. "Well, he has his moments, I'll give him that," she consented.

As they continued talking and Jackie shared with Rose about all of the wonder and joys of motherhood, but was also honest about the challenges, Rose was feeling even more at ease in regards to all she was about to take on. She was so glad the Doctor had brought her here so she could spend this time with her mum. He always seemed to know just what she needed.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Pete were having a conversation of their own in the study. They both sat down and made themselves comfortable in a pair of brown leather wingbacks. Or at least, the Doctor attempted to look as if he were.

"So," the Doctor began casually. "Fill me in on what's been happening here. Have there been any incidences at Torchwood lately? Anything out of the ordinary you've detected?" he asked.

"No. Actually, things have been pretty quiet lately," Pete replied. "Why do you ask?"

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively. "It's probably nothing."

Pete leaned forward in his chair and narrowed his gaze. He wasn't so easily fooled. "Tell me."

The Doctor blew out a breath. "I received a warning recently. Rather cryptic. One might say unpleasant. I was told, 'He is waiting'."

He didn't even want to repeat the rest of the warning and allow himself to think of the harm it suggested could come to Rose and the baby.

"What do you think that means?" Pete asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "No idea." He ran an uneasy hand through his hair. "But that's not all, Pete. Even before that, I was beginning to sense that there was something...coming. I can feel it."

Pete stood up and gave him a pat on the back. "It's called Impending Fatherhood. I know — I felt the same way. It's perfectly natural. I'm sure that's all there is to it," he tried to assure him.

The Doctor walked over to the window and gazed off into the distance, not feeling at all convinced. "I hope you're right," he murmured.

The Doctor certainly wasn't the paranoid type, but he knew this feeling all too well. He had sensed something similar once before, just before he lost Rose. There had been something in the air — a storm approaching. He now had that same ominous feeling once again. The storm clouds were gathering.


	3. Chapter 3

A short while later, the Doctor and Pete emerged from the study and rejoined Rose and Jackie. The Doctor had asked Pete not to mention anything to Rose about the warning he'd received or about his uneasiness, because he didn't want to worry her. Pete agreed.

"There you two are," Jackie remarked. "I was just starting to tell Rose we need to get busy setting up the nursery at your flat. My granddaughter will be here in less than a month, and things need to be in order."

"You know, we _do_ have a nursery on the TARDIS, Mum," Rose reminder her. "A beautiful one at that."

"I know, but you said you were gonna be staying here for a few weeks after the baby's born, and you'll need to have things ready. There isn't that much time left."

Rose sighed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. It's easy to lose track of time in the TARDIS, but the baby will be here before we know it. And we haven't even had a chance to paint the spare room yet," she pointed out.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and wiggled it between his fingers. "Consider it done," he stated with confidence.

"Are you sayin' you can _paint_ with that thing?" Jackie asked, her skepticism evident.

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'P'. Then added, "Weeell, it's not actually 'painting'. More like exciting the color particles on the wall and manipulating the spectrum. Same difference," he shrugged.

Jackie shook her head. "Can't you ever do anything normally?"

"Oi!" the Doctor cried in offense. Pete chuckled.

"Oh, don't you two start," Rose interjected. "I don't care how you do it, just so long as it gets done."

The Doctor was still grumbling about Jackie's remark. "Jackie Tyler, the authority on _normal_," he muttered. "As for doing things 'normally'," he continued in his defense, "just be glad the baby was conceived and not loomed, which was the traditional method of reproduction on Gallifrey." He winked at a rapidly-blushing Rose. "Not nearly as much fun that way, though. So, to answer your question of whether or not I can do anything normally…"

He was cut off mid-sentence by Rose's hand over his mouth. "You are _so_ not having this conversation with my mum!" she warned.

The Doctor just smirked and switched back to the original subject while Jackie mumbled something along the lines of, 'cheeky alien'. Rose knew the two of them actually loved each other, and their banter was just their unique way of showing it.

"So, what color would you like for the room?" the Doctor asked. "I'm guessing pink?"

Rose crinkled her nose. "Pink is so…cliché."

The Doctor looked shocked. "This from the woman whose room used to look like it was drowning in pink!"

Rose shrugged. "What can I say? My taste has changed. No, I was thinking maybe something in light lavender. Like the color of the sky on Maxilla Prime. What'd you think?"

He smiled. "Perfect. Just leave it to me."

"Famous last words," Jackie murmured.

-:-

Jackie and Rose decided to go shopping for additional items that would be needed for a new baby while the men prepared the spare room at the flat.

Once there, the Doctor and Pete packed the various bits of alien tech the Doctor had collected that was beginning to overflow into the spare room, and moved them back upstairs to the Doctor's workshop – the room he added onto the flat where he would go to tinker when they stayed there during visits. With that finished, the Doctor set to work 'painting' the room.

Later on, Jackie, Rose, and Tony, who they had now picked up from school, arrived at the flat looking like they'd bought out half the baby department at Henrik's. This was the first grandchild Jackie had the chance to shop for, and she admittedly got a little carried away.

The Doctor and Pete set to work putting together the newly-purchased crib. The Doctor scoffed when Rose suggested he read the instructions, saying he could have written the manual himself when he was two. Apparently men were the same the universe over when it came to following instructions, Rose thought to herself.

They eventually managed to get it put together, but with several parts left over. The Doctor insisted those parts were unnecessary and were just included as extras, with which Pete concurred. Rose and Jackie simply exchanged smirks.

Later that evening with the nursery finally complete, Jackie, Tony and Pete left to return to the mansion. The Doctor and Rose remained at the flat, having decided to stay over for a few days.

Rose placed a soft blanket with pastel-printed stars in the crib, then stepped back into the Doctor's embrace to survey the transformed room. It was so different from the one on the TARDIS. The one aboard the ship was clearly designed for a Time Lord child who would grow under the knowledge of its sacred legacy. This room was suited to the simple innocence of a human infant. The contrasts might have seemed conflicting, but actually blended well for a child of mixed heritage. She would know equally of her human and Gallifreyan lineage.

Gazing at the room, Rose was struck with the reality of it all. Not just the nearing birth of their child, but the entire life she and the Doctor now shared. She thought back to her struggles with the Dimension Cannon, of the challenges she imagined they would still face even after she had found him again. He could have easily been a man so hardened by continual loss that he refused to open himself to her in such a way. He could have even tried to send her back after all was said and done and all of reality once again safe. Instead, he chose to embrace all they could have and be. There wasn't a day she took their shared life for granted.

Some days, however, she was reminded of the Doctor's inner nature that would never fully change – the man who bore so many burdens alone, because that had been his way of life for centuries. Today was one of those days. He was keeping something from her. She could feel it. Rose hoped that he was at ease enough now at the end of a relatively calm and pleasant day to share it with her. She opened the lines of communication by voicing her feelings of awe which this simple room inspired.

"I still can't believe that all this is really happening. That you and I are able to have this life together," she remarked, the note of wonder evident in her tone. "It's…amazing."

The Doctor smiled gently and kissed the top of her head. His hands that had been resting on her shoulders moved down to encircle her waist as her fingers came up to twine with his own. They stood silent for a moment in each other's embrace, both lost in their own thoughts.

Rose was contemplating how to word the question that was on her mind. She didn't want him silently carrying whatever it was that had him troubled any longer. She turned in his arms to look into his eyes, her hands drifting up to rest on his chest.

"So…," she began softly, "are you gonna talk to me about it?"

He tilted his head to the side, a questioning look on his face. "Talk about what?" he asked.

Rose let out a long, frustrated breath. So this was how it was going to be. "Something's been bothering you since we left Thalasia. I can sense it. I've been waiting for you to talk to me about it. But since you're obviously not planning to, then I'll just have to ask you."

He quirked his lips in a half smile. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?"

She shook her head and turned away. "Why do you want to?" Rose asked, hurt seeping into her tone.

Despite his nature, she thought maybe they were past this point in their relationship. Past the point where he would just put on a superficial smile and claim he was 'always alright,' even when it was clear he wasn't. Now that they were married – _bonded_, they shared everything, or so she thought. Maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones, but it hurt her to think he would go back to keeping his feelings bottled-up inside and not open up to her if something was troubling him.

The Doctor took her by the arm and gently turned her back towards him. "Rose, I don't want to keep anything from you. I just don't want to worry you unnecessarily over something that may not mean anything."

"Why don't you at least give me the chance to decide that?" she asked. "I thought we told each other everything. The important things. I'll not break, you know."

The Doctor sighed. "I know. I'm sorry." He paused for a moment and inhaled deeply before continuing. "Mara said something to me just before we left. She said she had to warn me of something. It was cryptic, and I'm not entirely sure what she meant by it. She said, 'He is waiting.' Said he was waiting in the shadows."

Rose furrowed her brow. "What do you think that could mean?"

"I don't know." Then he gave her a lopsided grin. "Maybe Doctor number eleven is going to pay us another visit. He's a wild card, that one," he said lightly.

Rose shook her head. "Doctor, be serious. You're doing what you always do – trying to make light of a situation to hide the fact that you're frightened. But you can't fool me anymore. I know you too well now."

"You're right," he consented. "But we can't live our lives in fear of what might be lurking in the shadows. An enemy waiting around the next corner is just typical of the life we lead. But I promise you this, Rose: Whatever comes our way, I will _always_ keep you safe. She indicated that you and the baby might be in danger. But I swear that I will protect you both with my life," he vowed fiercely.

Rose dropped her gaze. "That's what worries me," she responded quietly, then looked him in the eyes once again. "Doctor, I don't want you to die for me," she said, as an image of her first Doctor flashed in her mind. "Once was enough."

"Hey," he said gently, rousing her back to the present, "I don't intend to. I have too much to _live_ for. But you and the baby will always come first. No exceptions."

He wrapped her in his arms, her belly pushing snugly into his lean frame. She laid her head against his chest, listening to the comforting rhythm of the twin beats of his hearts.

"We'll worry about tomorrow _tomorrow_," he said softly. "But for now, you're tired and it's been a long day. Why don't you get into bed and I'll bring the bottle of oil from Thalasia," he suggested. Rose lifted her head as he gazed down at her, a slow smile creeping across his face. His voice took on a deep, seductive tone. "I can think of one or two brilliant uses for it that I believe you might very much enjoy."

She smiled slowly, a finger lifting to his left sideburn before taking a caressing descent. "Oh, I'm sure you can," she purred.

He spent the evening lavishing his attentions on her, conveying through soft touches and intimate caresses the depth of his love. Rose had never felt more cherished as he showed her how he adored the changes in her now that she carried his child. He viewed her with awe, and she realized how beautiful she was in his eyes.

They fell asleep in the safe cocoon of each other's arms, unaware of what the next day would bring. Unaware that the Doctor had not slipped into this universe unnoticed. A threat was looming on the horizon and a sinister plan had already been set in motion.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Rose woke to the rather pleasant sensation of the Doctor gently nuzzling the side of her neck. Simultaneously, his skillful hand dipped down beneath the sheet to caress her thigh. She smiled contentedly and turned into his embrace. The sight of a well-rumpled, slightly stubbly 'Morning After' Doctor never ceased to leave her a little breathless.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Yes, it is," he replied, his eyes dark with desire. Oh, Rose knew that look well. He had been waiting for her to wake up, and she could see in his eyes exactly what his intentions were. She had no objections.

Now that he had her awake, the Doctor wasn't wasting any time. He leaned in and took possession of her mouth. The kiss began slow, but quickly became more heated and frenzied as he deepened it and plunged his tongue into the depths of her mouth, causing Rose to let out a moan of desire as she reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair, gently dragging her nails through his scalp as their tongues battled for dominance. His hand crept under her top, inching it up, and began caressing the smooth, rounded skin of her belly, then slowly began moving higher.

It was at that moment the phone began to ring. Startled, Rose broke the kiss. The Doctor groaned and leaned forward to trail kisses down her neck.

"Ignore it," he murmured against her skin.

She reached up to grab the back of his head and hold him in place. "This is me, ignoring it," she whispered breathlessly, and could feel him smile against her neck.

He ran his tongue along her clavicle, causing her to shiver with delight as his hands roamed lower.

The ringing persisted until the answering machine kicked in. It was Pete.

_"I'm sorry to bother you both, but we need the Doctor at Torchwood."_

The Doctor slowly and reluctantly pulled back and looked at Rose, crestfallen. She smiled sympathetically and stroked his cheek.

"The universe calls," she said.

He sighed as he rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow to hit the speaker button.

"What is it, Pete?" he asked, not able to hide the annoyance in his voice.

_"I'm sorry to have to call this early, but we could really use you down at Torchwood."_ Pete went on to explain. _"One of our teams has been working on a ship – a Jathar Sunglider we have in our hanger. It was shot down under the old Torchwood regime. Anyway, while working on the engines, they inadvertently caused a containment breach and the hanger began flooding with gas. They've sealed it off, but are unsure of the best way to proceed. The gas is extremely volatile, and we could use your assistance and expert opinion on the best way to go about clearing it."_

The Doctor sighed. "Fine. I'll be there in a few minutes," he agreed reluctantly.

_"Oh, and Doctor,"_ Pete interjected, _"I think it's best if Rose doesn't come. We wouldn't want to risk her or the baby's safety being down here while this gas is in the air."_

The Doctor hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Rose alone. But he couldn't risk her being exposed to the gas. Plus, he knew he would be back in a matter of minutes and she wouldn't even have to get out of bed. "I suppose you're right," he agreed.

_"Thank you, Doctor. We'll see you in a bit."_

The Doctor turned off the phone and flopped back down on the bed. He threw his arm over his face theatrically and let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Drug out of bed and away from my wife when I was in the middle of something _very_ important, and for something like _this_!" he said in frustration.

Rose patted his arm sympathetically. "It's the price you pay for being a genius. They need your brilliant mind."

He peered at her from underneath his arm. "They need a mechanic," he said flatly. Rose chuckled.

He let out another sigh. "But I suppose I can be that, too, if I must."

"Is it dangerous?" Rose asked.

"Nah, Jathar gas can be a bit tricky, but I should have it cleared up in a few minutes."

He climbed out of bed and began getting dressed, stepping into his trousers, lacing his trainers and pulling on a shirt.

"You," he said, pointing to Rose, "just stay right where you are." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "I'm not through with you yet."

Rose stretched her arms over her head and settled back against the pillows. "Is that a promise?"

He grinned. "Oh, yes!"

He walked back over to her as he buttoned his light blue Oxford and sat down on the edge of the bed. He grabbed his sonic and gave her a quick scan. Rose had become quite accustomed to this routine. He was constantly checking her condition to make sure all was as it should be with her and the baby. She held her wrist out to him, knowing what came next. He took her hand and licked the inside of her wrist, performing his unique method of analysis.

"Blood sugar, electrolytes, hormone levels – all in perfect balance," he pronounced.

Rose smiled. "That's because I have such a brilliant doctor taking care of me," she noted.

He hummed happily in response as he leaned forward and gave her a slow kiss – a reminder of what was left unfinished and a promise of things to come.

He pulled back, still cupping her face with his hand. "I'll just pop down there in the TARDIS and be back in five minutes," he promised, then placed one last chaste kiss on her lips.

He stood, grabbed his jacket and headed for the TARDIS (which had its own designated parking place in the bedroom). As he was opening the door, Rose called out to him.

"Doctor? Since you're going to be out in the TARDIS anyway…," she began.

The Doctor smiled, already knowing what she was going to say. "And what is the craving for this morning?" he asked. "Strombol from the planet Shoros?"

She crinkled her nose and shook her head. "Oh, don't even mention Strombol. It turns my stomach!"

The Doctor's jaw dropped. "But last week you couldn't get enough of it!"

She shrugged. "That was last week. The baby doesn't like it anymore. No, I was thinking of those little blue puffy things from Ashkatar 3."

"Pooshkas?"

"Pooshkas – that's it!" she declared happily.

He grinned. "Pooshkas it is. I'll be back in…make that 7 minutes 48 seconds."

She leaned back and smiled. "I'll be waiting."

-:-

The TARDIS materialized inside the Torchwood hub, right in the middle of Central Command. It was an occurrence everyone there had become accustomed to, and members of the Institute hardly took notice anymore of the blue box's sudden and often random appearance.

The Doctor stepped out and waved to a few associates as he made his way to the nearby hall. As he rounded the corner, he was met by Pete.

"Doctor," the Director greeted, sounding a little surprised. "What brings you down here this morning?" Then Pete gazed around, noting an absence. "Where's Rose."

The Doctor gave the man a puzzled look. "What are you talking about, Pete? _You_ called me to come. At rather inconvenient time, I might add. The issue with the Jathar Sunglider, remember?"

Pete looked perplexed. "That thing's been in the scrap heap for years. We haven't even bothered with it for ages, much less had an issue with it. Doctor, I didn't call you down here," he insisted.

The Doctor was instantly on edge. "Then who did – and why?"

He didn't get a chance to finish that thought. The Doctor was suddenly aware of Rose's distress. He could feel it through the bond that connected them. Ordinarily, it just gave them an awareness of the other's presence in the back of their minds, and if they focused on it, a sense of their feelings. But she was suddenly under such distress that it instantly rippled back to him, clear and unmistakable.

He reached for her mind with his own. _"Rose, what is it? What's wrong?"_ he asked through their telepathic link.

No response.

Pete noticed the Doctor's sudden alarm. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor focused his eyes back on Pete. "It's Rose," he answered quickly. "Something's happened."

Without further explanation, the Doctor turned on his heel and made a mad dash back down the corridor and towards the TARDIS, with Pete following closely behind.

"I'm coming with you!" he called out as the Doctor threw open the door to the TARDIS. Pete rushed through a second later as the Doctor was setting the dematerializing sequence.

They landed back at the flat in mere moments. The Doctor was the first to hasten down the ramp. He burst through the door and into the bedroom where he frantically began calling out and searching for Rose.

The room was empty.

"I'll search the rest of the flat!" Pete yelled as he ran from the room.

The Doctor quickly pulled out the sonic screwdriver to scan the apartment. His fear was confirmed. He slowly lowered it and walked to the hall where he found Pete coming out of the living room and heading for the nursery. The Doctor stopped him.

"No need," he said gravely. "Rose is gone. There's no trace of her here."

Pete met the Doctor's gaze. He had never seen such a fire blazing in one man's eyes. He placed a firm, reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"We _will_ find her, Doctor," he assured him.

The Doctor didn't respond. He just quickly turned and headed back into the TARDIS where he began running additional scans at a frantic pace.

Pete pulled out his mobile and began dialing. "This is Pete Tyler. I'm at the Doctor and Rose's apartment. Dispatch all available agents to this location immediately. Code Red."

-:-

In what seemed to be no more than a few minutes, the apartment was filled with Torchwood agents investigating the scene. Scanning equipment was set up and every room scrutinized for any evidence that could give them clues as to what could have happened to Rose. The Doctor continued running his own scans from inside the TARDIS.

Jake Simmonds joined the Doctor and Pete in the TARDIS to discuss the current findings. He was professional and factual, not letting deep concern for his friend and colleague distract from doing his part in the current job of trying to get her back.

"No sign of forced entrance, and no real evidence of a struggle," Jake stated. "And CCTV footage doesn't show anyone entering or exiting the building during the timeframe when the disappearance took place."

"Whoever took her didn't break in, they transported in," the Doctor replied from his position at the TARDIS console. "I've detected traces of residual energy used in teleport jumps. That's how they got in and out so quickly."

"We've picked up something else," Jake informed him. "There are traces of an anesthetizing compound near the bed. She must have been rendered unconscious before they took her."

The Doctor's jaw clenched tightly. That explained why their connection had been severed so quickly.

Pete spoke up. "What about the phone call the Doctor received? It was obviously intended to get him away from Rose, but can we trace it?" he questioned.

Jake shook his head. "They're still working on it, but so far no luck. The signal was scrambled and then routed through Torchwood to make it appear as if it originated from there."

"Keep working on it," Pete told him.

Jake nodded and headed back out into the flat.

Pete turned his attention back to the Doctor, whose entire countenance was that of despondence.

"This is all my fault," the Doctor said, his tone dark. "I left her alone."

Pete shook his head. "Don't even start with that," he interjected. "It'll get you nowhere. You thought you were keeping her safe. You had no way of knowing this was going to happen."

The Doctor slammed his hands down on the console. "But I _did_!" he yelled, his eyes blazing. "I knew something was going to happen – I could feel it! I was even warned!" He drew a deep, shuddering breath as he took a step back from the console and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I never should have brought her back here. I should have kept her on the TARDIS where she was safe."

"For how long?" Pete asked. "Would you have kept her shut in here for the rest of her life to protect her? You can't live like that," he reasoned. "And do you think for one minute that Rose would have let you?"

The Doctor sat down heavily on the jump seat and ran both hands through his hair, then looked back up at Pete. "It would have been better than letting this happen," he eventually replied, his tone grim.

Just then, Pete's attention shifted as he heard Jackie's voice out in the apartment, the news having reached her.

"I'll go talk with her," Pete offered. The Doctor nodded mutely.

He stepped out of the TARDIS and back into the flat just as Jackie came rushing forward.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" she demanded.

"There wasn't time," Pete answered.

"Where is she, Pete? Where's my daughter? Who would do this? Why?" she asked frantically, on the verge of hysterics.

"I don't know, love. But we're working on it," he answered soothingly, placing both hands on her shoulders.

Jackie swiped at the tears on her face. "Where's the Doctor?" she asked.

Pete indicated to the TARDIS. She turned and stepped into the stationary ship. She walked up the ramp and quickly approached the Doctor just as he stood.

"Doctor, tell me you can find her!" she pleaded. "Tell me you'll get her back!"

"Jackie, I will do _everything_ in my power. I swear," he assured her.

"But can't you sense where she is?" Jackie asked. "I thought you two had a…connection of some sort."

The Doctor exhaled deeply. "Our connection was cut off as soon as she was taken. I haven't been able to feel anything from her since," he admitted grimly.

Jackie's hand flew up to her mouth in horror. She slowly lowered it, her hand trembling. "Does that mean she's…she's…?"

"No!" the Doctor practically yelled. "No," he repeated, slightly quieter. "Rose and I are connected to each other's consciousness. And if she's…not conscious, then…," he trailed off. "And maybe there's something blocking it. I just don't know. But I do know this," he said strongly, "She _is_ alive. They both are."

Jackie nodded, hoping with every fiber of her being that he was right. For now, this was the only assurance she had.

Pete put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Jacks, why don't you come out here and sit down," he said as he led her back out into the flat.

The Doctor watched them go, and then rested his hands against the console, his shoulders slumped. He had never felt so helpless in all his life. Rose and their unborn child were missing and in danger, and at the moment there was nothing he could do. He wanted to run through the streets and tear through every building until he found her, but he knew that wasn't the way to get her back. He had to stay focused.

He couldn't escape the feeling of guilt thinking that he had failed her. He had told her just last night that he would protect her and the baby with his life. Now he had allowed this to happen. One thing was certain, he thought to himself, when he found who was responsible for this and if they had hurt Rose or the baby in any way, then…

He clenched his fists as the fire, ice, and rage of the Oncoming Storm boiled up inside him. But he needed to contain his fury…for now. First and foremost he had to find Rose.

He went back out to talk to Pete. They needed to start finding answers. Now.

He found him in the living room hovering over a computer screen with Jake as they continued analyzing their scans.

"Pete," the Doctor addressed him as he approached, "Let's get working on a list of suspects and motives. Who do you know who would want to do this and have the capabilities for it?"

Pete blew out a long breath. "I've made my share of enemies in this line of work – same as you. But no one jumps out as someone who would go this far. What about you? Have you and Rose run into anyone during your travels who would want to do something like this?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No," he replied. "And the residual energy I detected from the transport wasn't the kind capable of going off-world. This was of Earth origin."

"What if they took her for ransom?" Jackie interjected.

"She has a point," Jake spoke up. "Everyone knows the kind of money the Tylers have. And Rose is the Vitex heiress. That could make her a target."

"But if it were ransom, we would have heard something by now," Pete rationalized. "And no one has made any demands." Then he thought for a moment. "Just the same, I don't want to take any chances. Jackie, I think you should go pickup Tony from school. I'll send a couple of agents to go along with you. If someone's targeting this family for the sake of their status, we can't be too careful."

Jackie agreed for Tony's sake, but made him promise to stay in constant touch while she was gone and to let her know the minute they had any news.

The Doctor continued to pace the room and analyze the situation. "Whoever is behind this has a connection to Torchwood," he concluded. "They had knowledge of the Jathar Sunglider in Torchwood's possession. Only someone associated with the organization – past or present – would know that."

"He's right," Pete concurred. "Jake, I want a list of all personnel, past and present, with knowledge of transport technology. Also, anyone who has ever butt heads with me – no matter how trivial the incident may have seemed. And look for anyone who may have gone up against Rose or had a dispute with her when she was working for us – members of the Dimension Cannon team, anyone."

Jake nodded. "Consider it done."

The Doctor turned to head back to the TARDIS. "I'm going to continue working on tracing that call," he told them. "They think they've covered all their tracks, but we _will_ find them. There is nowhere on this Earth they can hide from me," he added darkly.

-:-

Meanwhile, a previously unconscious Rose was just starting to come-to. Her head felt like someone was pounding it with a hammer, and it took several moments for her vision to clear. As her eyes came into focus, her gaze fell upon the face of someone she had thought and _hoped_ she would never see again.

"_Right,"_she thought to herself, "_now we're in trouble."_


	5. Chapter 5

Rose pulled herself up into a sitting position upon the cot she found herself on. She was in a small, bare room with no windows and only one door. The gray cinder block walls blended dismally with the ashen cement slab floor.

Rose stared back at the man in front of her, who seemed to be scrutinizing her every move.

She recognized him immediately. His name was Carl Lethridge – the man she had believed to be dead, and on that note, thought the world was better off.

He had worked for Torchwood under the old regime before the People's Republic took control, and soon after appointed Pete Tyler as its head. Lethridge had managed to stay on at Torchwood under Pete by feigning allegiance with the new command and protocols. But it soon became apparent what his true motives were. He had a venomous hatred for any and all aliens and had only one goal: eradicate them from existence. Regardless of whether or not they were a threat or had come to Earth with completely harmless intentions, his view was the same – kill them.

He went against orders and did just that to an unarmed alien whose ship had crashed and was receiving assistance from Torchwood. After the incident, he claimed that he misinterpreted its actions as hostile. He disappeared before he could be brought up on charges, and a subsequent investigation revealed evidence that pointed to the possibility of him being behind previous unexplained deaths of several more aliens who had come into contact with Torchwood in the past.

Even with Lethridge gone, his poison had already spread through the organization, and it soon became apparent that there were others who shared his beliefs. The renegade agents were soon sacked, and Torchwood operations began to run much more smoothly.

Then there was the incident that took place over a year ago during the first week when the Doctor had returned to this universe with Rose. Those same former agents had apparently begun working underground with Lethridge. They managed to breach security and were able to gain access to some of Torchwood's weapons and technology. Torchwood traced the location of the stolen possessions and went after them. Upon arrival, the perpetrators tried to use one of the weapons against them, but seemingly underestimated its power and set off an explosion, injuring several agents, including Rose, and (so they thought) killing those responsible, including Lethridge.

Apparently they were wrong, Rose realized, as she now sat face-to-face with the man they had believed to be dead. He wore a sleek gray suit and crisp white shirt, looking like the kind of man who never got his hands dirty. He always hid his true deeds well. The tall, brawny man with his angular features and black hair sprinkled with the gray of late-forties was the very image she'd hope to never encounter again.

He leered at her from his position a few feet away. "Hello, Rose Tyler," he greeted, hatred evident in his tone and icy demeanor.

"Lethridge," she replied. "I've gotta admit I didn't expect to see you, considering you're supposed to be dead. Congrats on the element of surprise." She kept her voice calm and even and didn't allow any show of emotion.

He laughed menacingly. "Convenient, isn't it? That's exactly what you were supposed to think. Torchwood thought the event was an accident, but the entire incident was carefully orchestrated to make them think that we, and the weapons, were destroyed so they would end the search. But the weapons and technology I wanted were already safely in my possession."

"Clever," she conceded. "But there were the remains of bodies found at the site afterwards."

"And traces of my own DNA, no doubt?" he gloated. "Planted, of course, as part of the strategy. As for the bodies, they were merely collateral damage," he added dismissively. "They were expendable and necessary for the success of the plan."

"I'm sure they would have liked to have known that before they signed up with you," Rose replied casually, barely hiding the disgust in her voice. "Although I can't say they didn't have it coming if they were low enough to be working for scum like you."

Anger flashed in his eyes but he quickly steeled himself once again, not allowing himself to be baited.

"So why am I here?" she asked, getting to the point. "I'm guessing it's not just to have a chat and a cup of tea over old times."

A slow, wicked smile came to his face. "Oh, Rose Tyler, I have been waiting _such_ a long time to get my hands on you."

"Why?" she questioned, remaining calm.

He stepped closer to her and knelt down at eye level, tilting his head to the side as if studying an anomaly. "I know all about you," he said slowly. "I know what you are, and I also know what you're not. And what you're _not_…is human."

Rose laughed. "You're the one who's stretching the definition of what it means to be human, not me."

"There's no point in trying to hide it now. I've read all the Torchwood medical files on you. You sustained an injury a few years back. An injury that should have been fatal, but you survived." He stood up once more as he continued. "Your DNA has, what I believe the medical experts termed as 'rejuvenating capabilities.' And you have an estimated life span of possibly up to a few centuries."

Rose held his gaze, unflinching. "What can I say? Good genes."

"And those genes don't belong to Pete Tyler, do they? It took very little effort to find out that you never even existed on this planet until a few years ago. The creation of your identification can be traced back to Torchwood. And there is no record of Peter and Jacqueline Tyler ever having a daughter. That is, until your birth certificate was falsified."

Rose listened in silence. Whatever she would say in response needed to be considered carefully.

He continued on. "You just show up out of nowhere, the mysterious daughter of Pete Tyler, and begin working at Torchwood, possessing a superior knowledge of aliens. And that was the exchange, wasn't it? Pete Tyler gave you sanctuary in exchange for your knowledge. He's an alien-loving traitor to the human race and was more than happy to welcome you into his midst."

Rose knew it was pointless to argue in the face of his rather convincing evidence. And her story of coming from a parallel universe and having her DNA altered by absorbing the heart of the TARDIS was hardly believable. It was something only a select few at Torchwood even knew about. Plus, the baby she was currently carrying _wasn't_ fully human, and that was easy enough to prove. So she didn't try to argue the point. He had already made up his mind and it wouldn't have changed anything. But she needed to know what his intentions were.

"So you've come to the grand conclusion that I'm an alien. You've got an overactive imagination, I'll give you that. So what now? Why didn't you just kill me like the other innocent creatures you slaughtered?"

"All in good time," he responded darkly. "But first I intend to get as much out of you as I can. The study of your DNA and cell make-up will no doubt lead to the creation of genetic-enhancing technology that will make millions for me and provide the means to expand my resources and capabilities. I'm also going to learn all I can about your species so I will know the most efficient way of eradicating them; because I know there are more out there just waiting to infiltrate this planet."

He then stopped for a moment and stared intently at Rose's pregnant belly. Fear shot through her at the intense animosity in his eyes. She wanted to wrap her arms around herself protectively and shield the baby from his hostile gaze.

"And now you're planning to populate the Earth with your alien spawn," he accused. "That is something I can _not_ allow to happen."

Rose's pulse began to quicken at his words. Being in danger herself was one thing, but she feared for the baby's safety over her own.

He folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Now, let's move on to your husband – or whatever it is your species would refer to him as. He's just as alien as you, isn't he?"

_You don't know the half of it,_ Rose thought to herself.

"The evidence against your humanity began mounting the day he arrived. He's not from Earth, that much is clear. He shows up as suddenly and mysteriously as you, and is given the identity of 'Doctor Tyler.' The two of you even have a spacecraft. I know. I've been watching. It's disguised as a type of blue box which the two of you have been seen as appearing and disappearing in at various times. Tell me," he said in a curious tone, "what type of technology is that?"

Rose could no longer restrain her anger at the man before her and could feel it rising up as she spoke. "It's called a TARDIS. And you will do well to remember that name, because when it shows up, and it _will_ show up, you're going to find yourself in the midst of the worst day of your life," she warned.

A look of satisfaction came over his face. "Ah, and now you show your true colors. You admit the hostility of your species."

"Who are you to accuse others of hostility?" she threw back.

"I'm only doing what is necessary to rid the Earth of parasites like you," he said bitterly. "Next will come him, once I've perfected my weaponry through you. Now speaking of, let's return to your 'husband.' My investigations have revealed him as being referred to as a Time Lord. What exactly is a Time Lord?"

Rose glared intently at him. "Your worst nightmare," she replied, her voice low.

He smirked. "We'll see who causes whom the nightmares."

He turned and headed for the door. Rose knew she had to keep him talking, had to stall until the Doctor could get there. She had expected him to have already shown up by now and was growing more concerned as the seconds went by. Even if she were in some secret location, the Doctor should be able to sense where she was through their bond. But that was something else that had been troubling her since she regained consciousness. Rose couldn't feel him and couldn't communicate with him. The place in her mind where she could normally sense his presence was now startlingly empty.

She needed to buy just a little more time, delay whatever it was this vile man was planning to do to her. Rose spoke up quickly as he reached for the door.

"Why this hatred for anyone who's not of Earth?" she asked. "You've encountered your share of aliens through Torchwood and know as well as I do that not all of them are hostile."

He stopped and turned back, glaring at her. "They almost destroyed this entire planet!" he roared. "Are you not even aware of what the Cybermen did? They nearly annihilated the human race!"

"The Cybermen were _not_ of alien origin," she protested. "They were created by a human, John Lumic – a crazed madman. I'm sure you two had a lot in common," she added. "And it was _the_ _Doctor_ who saved everyone from their threat! That's what he does! You think he's a danger to this world, but he is the Earth's greatest ally. He has saved this planet and countless others more times than you could possibly imagine. But you wouldn't know, because he doesn't even ask for thanks or recognition. It's just what he does, because he's _that good_!"

The man scoffed. "If you honestly expect me to believe that, then you're probably foolish enough to believe that he's going to come here and save you," he sneered. "Well, let me assure you of this: No one is ever going to find you. Years of careful planning have gone into constructing this compound which is impervious to detection. It's masked with a cloaking device which makes it visually imperceptible and shielded with a bio-dampening field so no life signs can be detected. There is even a telepathic disruptor in place to block telepathic communications, an ability some of the aliens we've studied here have possessed."

He smiled with satisfaction. "You see, I've thought of everything. The only way you're ever going to leave here is when I'm through with you. And by then you'll be dead," he vowed. He then opened the door and summoned two armed guards inside, who seized Rose and began leading her from the room. "Now then," he began, "it's time to find out what you're made of. Literally."


	6. Chapter 6

It had been just over 48 hours since Rose went missing, and they didn't seem to be getting any closer to finding her. The Doctor, along with Pete and the members of Torchwood, had been chasing dead-end leads all over London, coming up empty-handed each time.

A temporary command center had been set up at the Doctor and Rose's flat. The Doctor wanted to work from there rather than Torchwood, thinking that if by some miracle Rose were to return as suddenly as she was taken, this was where she would most likely turn up. He also felt closer to her here, and at the moment the memories of her presence were all he had.

Despite the constant buzz of activity and dozens of agents in the flat, it felt hauntingly empty to him without Rose. Even though he wanted to feel closer to her by being at their apartment, he had not, however, been able to allow himself to go near their bedroom in the TARDIS. That room had been their refuge, the sacred abode where they had bonded, where they had come together for the first time as husband and wife, and where their child had been conceived. Without Rose, the thought of even looking at it seemed unbearable to him.

Jackie, meanwhile, was staying at the mansion with Tony, but keeping in constant touch. She wanted desperately to be there but knew there was nothing she could do. And everyone agreed it was best to keep Tony away from all this for the time being. They didn't want to tell him what had happened to Rose unless it became necessary – and that was something no one wanted to think about.

As for Pete, Rose and the baby weren't the only ones he was beginning to be concerned about. In the two days since Rose had gone missing, the Doctor hadn't stopped for even a moment, constantly working to try to find her. He hadn't slept – hadn't even changed clothes. And Pete didn't think he'd had a bite of food in that time. He knew the Doctor could go with less sleep than most – maybe even food, too. But even a Time Lord had a breaking point, and it was clear the Doctor was quickly reaching his and couldn't go on like this much longer. They needed the Doctor, and he wasn't going to be any good to any of them if he didn't at least take a moment to breathe. It had already been suggested once that the Doctor get some rest, but he flat-out refused.

It was now well into the second full day since Rose's disappearance. Pete looked over at the Doctor where he stood leaning over a computer screen, analyzing endless amounts of data. His jacket and tie had long since been discarded, his collar unbuttoned and shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his trousers looked like they had been worn for every bit of the past two days. His face was stubbly and his hair even more untamed than usual. His outward appearance was undeniably haggard, but what showed his current state of anguish more than all this were his eyes. Pete had never seen a man's eyes look so desperate and haunted.

He approached the Doctor and put a hand on his shoulder. "Doctor, you can't keep on like this. You've got to let yourself get some rest."

The Doctor didn't even look up as he responded. "I'll rest once Rose and the baby are safe." His tone was flat, yet with an edge of anger in his voice that said he was fully prepared to argue the point if need be.

Pete shook his head and continued. "You're not going to be able to find them if you keep pushing yourself like this," he insisted.

The muscles in the Doctor's jaw tensed visibly. "I'm fine," he snapped. "I'm not the one to be concerned about."

"Doctor, look at me," Pete urged firmly, refusing to back down.

Reluctantly, the Doctor lifted his gaze. "We _need_ you. Rose and the baby need you. But if you keep on like this, you're not going to be any good to anyone," he reasoned. "All I'm suggesting is that you get some rest for at least an hour and try to eat something. If not for you then for Rose and the baby," he added.

The Doctor didn't answer for a moment. He just held Pete's gaze, on the verge of unleashing the Oncoming Storm. The problem was, Pete was right and the Doctor knew it. He then realized he felt too weary to even protest. After several moments, he seemed to deflate and, much to Pete's relief, finally gave a small nod in consent. He didn't say anything more, just headed for the bedroom, half-heartedly grabbing a banana from the kitchen on the way.

Once inside the bedroom, the Doctor looked down at the food in his hand, then tossed it on the nightstand as if it repulsed him. Just the thought of eating something right then made him sick to his stomach. All it served to do was make him wonder if Rose was eating. Were those who had taken her even giving her food? How could he eat not knowing if she had?

Thoughts he had tried to keep at bay suddenly unleashed their assault on his mind as images of what Rose could be going through played out before him.

_Rose imprisoned. _

_Rose in torment. _

_Rose and the baby dead. _

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out the unthinkable.

He scrubbed his hands down the rough stubble of his face and let out a long, shaky breath, then headed into the bathroom where he methodically peeled off his clothes and stepped into the shower. He turned the temperature of the water up as hot as he could stand it in an attempt to feel something_ – anything_. He had been numb since the moment this all began.

As the water beat down upon him and the steam began to rise, he could feel the anguish in his soul begin to overtake him. He hadn't felt this depth of despair since he had lost Gallifrey – lost his people, and was left all alone. But Rose had begun to heal him and fill the emptiness in his hearts the day he met her. She had given him a reason to live again.

His deepest fear had always been of losing her. That's why he held back in admitting his feelings to her for so long, afraid to let himself get too close. After they were reunited again against the odds, he finally reached the point where he was ready to take that chance and open himself up to love. He wasn't going to waste the second chance he had been given.

Though he had never completely escaped his fear, he didn't want to live with regrets when it came to Rose, and he knew that giving her all of his love without holding back was the only way. Joining himself with her wholly, body and soul, had given him a sense of completion he had never before known. And then with the news of the baby – a child and family he had once thought he would never again have, his life seemed to be more perfect than he had ever dared to allow himself to hope for.

He had _finally_ begun to let himself believe in forever – their forever. Now he stood on the edge of losing it all. That was something he didn't think he could survive. And if it came to that, didn't know if he would want to survive.

He wanted to rage and scream at the universe itself for allowing this to happen. How much would be ripped away from him, how much loss would he have to endure before it was finally deemed enough?

As these tormented thoughts flooded through him unrelentingly, he raised his hand and slammed it against the hard, unforgiving tile. He clenched his fist and hit the wall again and again. The sharp stinging pain it caused was a welcome, momentary distraction from the tormenting pain in his hearts. He finally sank to his knees and began to weep as the emotions that had been barely restrained for the past two days finally overtook him, and he allowed himself to breakdown for the first time.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before the sobs that racked his body finally came to a stop and left him feeling empty. He pulled himself up, turned off the taps, stepped out of the shower and went through the motions of drying off and getting changed. He stepped out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. The Doctor pulled a spare pair of pinstriped trousers and white Oxford out of the closet. He buttoned the front of the shirt, but didn't even bother with the cuffs or tucking in the tails. He didn't have the energy.

Pete was right, he was exhausted. He had been pushing his sleep cycle and knew he couldn't keep it up forever. He didn't want to stop or rest for even one moment until Rose and his unborn child were safe. But exhaustion was blurring his mind and he needed to be able to focus, for Rose and the baby's sake.

He looked over at their bed. It looked so vast and cold and empty, and he didn't know if he could even rest without Rose there beside him. He walked over to it and ran his hand over her pillow. He closed his eyes as memories of them together played out before him. He pulled back the covers and exhaled deeply.

With renewed resolve to get her back, whatever it took, he gave in to allowing himself just a few minutes rest to regain his focus. He climbed onto her side of the bed and lost himself in the encompassing scent that was undeniably hers. He clutched her pillow tightly to himself, longing to breathe her in and hold her in his arms just once more. His mind felt empty and hollow without their connection, and he had never stopped reaching out for her in an attempt to re-establish their link. His last thoughts before allowing a few minutes of sleep to claim him were to send her his feelings of love, strength, and assurance that he _would_ find her.

-:-

The Doctor gave himself no more than twenty minutes rest, then quickly returned to his single quest of finding Rose. It may not have been the full amount of sleep he needed – to a human it was the equivalent of just over an hour, but it would have to do. He wasn't going to take any more time away from the search. Apparently, it had been just enough, though. His head felt clearer and he had a sharper focus. As his mind began working in a thousand directions at once trying to come up with a way to find Rose, he was suddenly struck with a thought that hadn't occurred to him yet.

He ran like a shot into the TARDIS and flew over to the console where he began making modifications to the scans he had run previously. His face broke into a wide grin as he _finally_ began making some headway.

"Ha!" he exclaimed in triumph as he found the results he was looking for. He ran down the ramp and back into the bedroom, threw open the door and ran over to Pete where he began explaining his findings at a hundred miles an hour.

"I don't know why it didn't come to me sooner! I'm so thick!" he exclaimed, while slapping a palm to his forehead. "I tried tracing the signal from the telephone call once again, but _this_ time I set the scanners to a sub-matrix resonance of 23.4!"

"Which means?" Pete asked, bemused.

"It means," the Doctor explained, "that I've been able to pinpoint the signal's origin within a thirty mile radius."

"Show me," Pete said with urgency as he led the Doctor over to a computer.

The Doctor pulled up a map of the zone. The center of the area was about fifty miles north of London. "Jake!" Pete called out, "Bring the list of those with possible motives and capabilities."

Jake moved quickly. He came over and placed a laptop beside them and began scanning the list of names for anyone who could be traced to that area. Jake looked up at them both and began informing them of a possible match.

"There's someone on the list with a definite tie to a location within that area, but it's someone we haven't given much consideration to because he's presumed dead," Jake explained.

"Who?" Pete asked.

"Carl Lethridge," Jake answered. Pete's blood ran cold at hearing the sound of that name. "He owned some property here," Jake continued, while pointing to a specific area on the screen.

Pete straightened up and took a step back. "We may have been too hasty in presuming he was gone. I think we need to assume that anything is possible where that man is concerned. Mobilize all units," he commanded. "We're moving out."

Jake nodded and turned away. The Doctor took Pete by the arm. "Who was this man, Pete?" he asked, fire burning in his eyes.

Pete began filling him in on all the unpleasant details as they moved out.


	7. Chapter 7

After being taken to a lab-type room for yet another series of tests, Rose was returned once more to her holding cell. This had been the routine for the past two days. She was given very little in the way of general care. Not even a clean change of clothes. She still wore the oversized white cotton night shirt she'd had on at the time she was taken. As for meals, all she had been given were some type of bland nutrient drinks to sustain her. She knew it wasn't out of any kind of concern for her well-being, but simply a necessity to keep her alive until they were through with her.

She had been poked, prodded and scanned so many times in the past two days that she was beginning to feel like a lab rat, and was treated about as such. She had lost count of how many vials of blood they had taken, along with just about every other kind of sample, including tissue and hair. She had never felt more violated in all her life, and at the moment there was nothing she could do about it. Rose had tried in vain to get past the bolt on her door, but it locked automatically from the outside when shut. She didn't know what she would do even if she could get it open because of the guards that seemed to be everywhere.

One thing was certain – whatever their ultimate plans were for her, it was going to get much worse than this. Lethridge had made that clear. So far the baby had been unharmed, but she didn't know how long that would continue to be the case, and she feared things would soon get worse. The thought of something happening to her unborn child was more than Rose could bear. Even if they didn't try to take the baby right away, she was only a few weeks away from her due date. She could _not_ give birth in this place. The idea of that was too frightening to think about. What would they do to the baby once she was born? Rose feared she already knew the answer to that question.

Rose placed a hand protectively over her stomach as these thoughts continued to swirl in her mind. "We're gonna be okay, you and me," she pledged. "I won't let them hurt you. I promise. And right now your daddy is working on a way to get us out of here, I know he is. He'll come for us soon – just wait and see." She was fighting to keep her voice steady as she spoke.

It wasn't long before the door opened and she was taken once again to the laboratory. Rose did her best to maintain the positive thoughts she'd tried to impart to the baby on the chance that the unborn telepathic infant could sense her feelings. Rose did not want her child to experience fear before she was even born.

As Rose sat on the exam table, two of Lethridge's scientists were talking together on the far side of the room as they analyzed their current data.

"Do you think the offspring will have the same regenerative capabilities as the mother?" the shorter of the two men asked.

"It's difficult to say without knowing the genetic make-up of the alien's father," the other, slightly older and taller man responded. "Once we've separated it from the mother, our experiments will be able to tell us all we need to know."

Rose's heart stopped. They _were_ planning to take the baby before she even gave birth. She wasn't going to wait to find out when. She had to get out of here – _now_. Rose had made things easier for herself by complying up until now, which she also knew was useful in gaining a measure of their trust. Thus, they had begun to let their guard down around her.

Rose knew she had to act quickly. She peered over at the thick glass window in the top of the lab's white aluminum door. Miraculously, she didn't see any guards around at the moment. She knew the door was self-locking, but the two scientists in the room each had a key. There was no time to lose.

She quickly glanced around the room for anything she could use as a weapon. There was a wheeled gurney she could use as a battering-ram. She could take out one of the men with that. As for the other, she would have to rely on her Torchwood defense training. Rose was more than capable of taking care of herself in a fight, but she had never had to do so while being nearly eight and a half months pregnant. But she had no other choice. Both men now had their backs to her. This may be her only shot.

She slowly slid off the table and quietly made her way a few feet over to the gurney. She gripped it tightly, then with all her strength, lunged forward and rammed it at the man closest to her. He was caught completely off guard, and the force of the impact slammed him into the wall where he hit his head and was knocked unconscious. The other man charged for her, but she grabbed him by the arm, twisted him, and rammed him in the stomach with her elbow. While he was hunched over from the blow, she quickly grabbed a metal tray and slammed it down over his head. He crumpled to the floor, and she wasted no time getting the keys off both of them.

Rose quickly made her way over to the door, and to her relief, there was still no one else in sight. She unlocked the door and slipped out, cautiously making her way down the hall. She didn't think she would be able to make it outside; there were too many guards to get past. Her only chance was to make it to the room with the transporter which had been used to bring her here. If she was very, _very_ lucky, the very thing used to capture her could be her means of escape. She knew a thing or two about transport technology from her work with the Dimension Cannon, and if she could just get to it, she thought she would be able to operate it. The only problem was finding it and remaining undetected.

As Rose surreptitiously made her way down the corridor, she began hearing footsteps up ahead just around the corner. She doubled back and ducked into a nearby room, which thankfully was empty. As soon as the hallway was once again clear, she cautiously edged back out, glancing left and right to make certain no one else was coming. She quickly dashed down the corridor. Her pace slowed as she saw a sight that was almost too good to be true. Just ahead was the transport room. She reached it and peered through the door, and to her great relief, it was empty.

She slipped inside and was making her way over to the control panel just as the door was suddenly thrown open. Rose spun around to see Carl Lethridge, accompanied by three guards advancing toward her. Rose looked around in desperation for something – anything she could use to defend herself as she backed away from them, but it was futile. There was no escape. Two of the guards seized her as Lethridge came closer.

He marched up to her angrily and struck her across the face. "Did you really think it would be that simple?" he asked, seething with anger.

Rose didn't respond, just glared back at him, still breathing heavily from the rush of adrenaline at her near-escape.

"As I said, you will _never_ make it out of here alive." Then a wicked smile came over his face. "I think you need to see first-hand just how hopeless your chance of escaping from here really is." He looked up at the guards and summoned them to follow him. "Bring her with me. There's something I want her to see, and the timing is perfect."

Rose was led into what appeared to be a security room. There were numerous screens on the walls, each showing a different view from various locations inside and outside the building. He walked over to a computer console and pulled up an image on the largest screen in the center of the room. It displayed a live-feed from outside.

Rose's heart leapt for joy at what she saw: The Doctor. It was the Doctor! And there with him were Pete and a team from Torchwood. He had found her – she knew he would! Rose could barely contain her elation at this sight she had longed to see. If this was Lethridge's idea of trying to make her lose heart, he had failed miserably. The volume was increased so they were able to pick up on what was being said.

Scanning equipment was brought out as the team began to survey the large, seemingly empty area. After several minutes of activity, Jake and Toshiko Sato, one of Torchwood's technical experts, approached the Doctor and Pete with their findings, which matched the results of the Doctor's own scans.

"There's nothing here and no sign that there ever has been," Jake concluded.

"And there is nothing to indicate that the phone signal could have come from here," Tosh added.

"Another dead end," Pete sighed. Then he looked at the Doctor. "But we've still narrowed it down to a thirty mile area," he added optimistically. "This may not be the right place, but at least we're getting close." He turned back to Jake. "Gather all personnel and tell them we're heading out. We have to keep searching."

In a matter of minutes, the equipment was packed and the team began moving out.

Before leaving, the Doctor cast one final look over his shoulder at the empty property. Rose held her breath. It almost appeared as if he was looking right at her. Then he dropped his gaze and turned to leave.

Rose watched in horror as she was left behind. "No!" she yelled in desperation. "Doctor!"

The only response she received was mocking laughter. "All hope lost?" Lethridge asked tauntingly.

Rose turned her head away, unable to look at him, the sight of his face making her sick to her stomach. He reached out and roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her to turn back and look at him.

"You think you're feeling pain _now_," he began, malice dripping from his voice, "but we haven't even begun. It's time to commence the next phase. And I'll warn you: Many we've studied have not survived past what is coming next."

Rose didn't even have the strength to resist as she was led away. Her last shred of hope had been ripped from her. The Doctor was here, _so close_, yet he turned and walked away. She knew now that there was no escape. No one would ever be able to find her. This was it. This was how it would all end, and there was nothing she or anyone else could do to stop it.

Rose was taken back to the laboratory and her wrists and ankles strapped to the table. Electrodes were placed on her forehead and attached to a machine nearby.

Lethridge addressed the others in the room who stood observing. "And now let's see just how much pain her species can endure before her body begins to shut down."

Rose knew this wasn't just a scientific experiment. It went beyond that. He gained a sick satisfaction from inflicting pain on aliens he viewed with disgust and deemed unworthy to live. Rose shuddered as she wondered how many others before her had been subjected to this same torture, some, according to Lethridge, to the point of death.

She swallowed heavily and braced herself, her heart pounding, as he gave the order to begin. The machine was activated and Rose suddenly felt a searing pain shoot through her entire body. She clenched her teeth and fought against the urge to scream, not wanting to give them the morbid satisfaction.

"Increase the intensity," he ordered.

Another jolt of pain coursed through her. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. With the next round of assault, she couldn't hold back any longer and let out a scream. She reached a point where she wished if they were going to kill her, they would just get it over with. But then she summoned her resolve and fought against it. No, she thought, she would _not_ succumb to this.

Rose soon found, however, that she was fighting a losing battle. She didn't know what effect this was having on the baby, but she did know that neither one of them could withstand much more of this.

She was losing awareness of what was happening around her and didn't realize she had been given a hallucinogenic drug to add additional mental distress to the physical pain she was experiencing. All she knew was that the face of the man tormenting her had suddenly morphed into the face of the Doctor. She watched in horror as the Doctor, the man she loved, gave the orders to increase her pain. He looked directly at her, his eyes pure evil.

This was _not_ her Doctor, she had to tell herself. He would never do this to her. Rose squeezed her eyes tightly shut to block out the image. If she was going to die here and now, then she wanted her last thoughts to be of the Doctor, but not like this. She forced away the thoughts of the heinous image and focused on _her_ Doctor.

Despite the pain that racked her body, she had a renewed determination to fight against this and protect the baby. She focused on the precious life inside of her as she began to lose consciousness. She was unaware of the faint, golden energy that began to swirl inside her. A small remnant of Bad Wolf that had remained within her now came to life and encompassed the baby, shielding her from harm. It was only a faint whisper of the power Rose had once held within her, but it was just enough to sustain them both.

-:-

Rose was only vaguely aware of being dumped back on the cot in her cell. She honestly didn't think she was going to survive that ordeal. Not only had she survived, but somehow she knew that the baby was okay.

After several minutes of recovery, she began to regain her strength and pulled herself up into a sitting position as she placed a hand over her stomach.

It was in that moment that she saw the Doctor, _her_ Doctor, materialize directly in front of her. Suddenly, _everything_ she had gone through no longer mattered. It was all forgotten in this moment because the Doctor was here – _finally_ here. Unaware of the hallucinogenic compound that hadn't fully left her system, she reached her hand out for him. Her face instantly fell as her hand passed right through.

"You're not real," she whispered, her voice breaking.

He stepped closer and knelt in front of her. "But I _am_ coming, Rose. You have to believe that. Don't give up. Don't ever give up." His image locked eyes with her, and instead of the fiendish look that tormented her earlier, she now saw those deep, brown eyes full of fathomless love that could look right into her soul and make her forget everything else around her. "I'm coming, love," he assured her. "I'm coming."

His image then faded and she was once again alone. But a spark of hope had ignited deep inside her.

It was soon replaced by fear, however, as a sensation of pain suddenly gripped her. But this wasn't like the pain she had felt earlier. No, she knew _exactly_ what this pain meant.

"No," she whispered. "Not now. _Please_, not now."

She was going into labor.


	8. Chapter 8

Upon arrival at the pinpointed location, the Doctor had quickly surveyed the area. The land around them had appeared to be empty, but they were not going to judge by mere appearances. Scanning equipment had then been set up to search for any signs of a hidden structure or any indication that the phone signal could have originated from there.

The Doctor had wasted no time in performing his own scans, but everything came up empty. No sign that anything or anyone was or had been there. So why was everything inside him saying otherwise? Something _was_ there, he could feel it. Alarm bells had been going off inside him from the moment they arrived.

After several minutes, Jake and Tosh had come over and informed him and Pete of the results of their own scans. They showed nothing, just as the Doctor's scans had. He wasn't surprised. Those behind this had gone to great lengths to make themselves undetectable.

Pete had then given the order to move out and continue the search in another area. The Doctor said nothing. Not yet. He needed time to prepare.

If he were to disable their cloaking device or whatever it was they were using and Torchwood were to storm the place right then, Rose and the baby could be killed. No, he needed to take a different approach. This had to be done with the utmost caution. He would find a way to go in after Rose himself, and then once she was safe, Torchwood could descend on the compound and seize those inside.

The Doctor trusted Pete. He had even begun to trust many of the agents at Torchwood. But he wasn't taking any chances where Rose and their baby were concerned. This had to be done his way. Once he was ready, he would inform them of his plan.

Before leaving, he turned and took one final look back at the seemingly empty area. He _would_ be back, he vowed to himself as his eyes sought to penetrate the invisible. This would end _today_.

-:-

As soon as the Doctor and the Torchwood team arrived back at the flat to re-strategize, the Doctor slipped into the bedroom and returned to where the TARDIS sat. He went inside and began running a thorough analysis of the readings he had taken of the suspected area and made several modifications to the scans using varying methods. Having knowledge far superior to that of most, it didn't take him long to uncover their means of achieving invisibility now that he had been able to scan the exact location. Cloaking device, bio-dampers, even a telepathic disruptor – that explained why his connection to Rose had been blocked.

If he was going to get in and out with Rose, he would have to use a similar means of disguise. He wasted no time getting to work creating a perception filter. He had used the TARDIS' keys before to create a low-level filter, but this time he needed to make it stronger. He needed to be invisible and not simply cause a shift in perception. He soon finished the device, also creating a second one for Rose.

It was time to inform Pete. Emerging back out into the flat, the Doctor approached him and asked Pete to step inside the TARDIS for a moment. Once inside, the Doctor revealed what he had uncovered and his plan for saving Rose.

"Doctor," Pete began, "I can't let you go in there alone. It's too dangerous. You're going to need back-up."

"No, Pete," the Doctor responded adamantly. "This is the only way, trust me. If all of Torchwood storms in there, guns blazing, what's to stop those responsible for this from killing Rose on the spot?" He shook his head. "That's not the way to do this. Once I've gotten Rose out of there and I know she and the baby are safe, then your units can move in and take the place, but not a minute before."

"And what if you don't make it out?" he asked.

"Then you can converge with everything you've got. But first give me this chance."

Pete knew that to oppose the Doctor on this might mean going up against a greater force than the one they were already facing. Beyond that, he also trusted the Doctor in this situation, even if his methods did not follow standard Torchwood procedure. He let out a long breath. "Alright, we'll do it your way," he finally consented. "How long will you need?"

"Give me twenty minutes in there," he replied. "If I haven't gotten her out by then, do whatever you have to."

Pete nodded. He then reached in his jacket and removed a standard-issue handgun. He held the black metallic weapon out toward the Doctor. "I know you don't normally carry a weapon, but take this," he implored. "For Rose and the baby's sake."

The Doctor stared intently at the gun in Pete's hand. Something inside him desperately wanted to reach out and take it. Not just to save Rose and his child, but to take retribution on those responsible for this and make them suffer. The rage – cold, familiar and deadly – had been building inside him from the moment Rose had been taken from him. It would be so easy, and perhaps within his right to unleash that now. And there was a time when he would have done so. After the Time War, he had been so full of blood and anger and revenge; but it was Rose who made him better. He realized that he was now a man who never would. He knew he could not turn back on that now. If he were to take the gun, he feared what he would do, what he would become through the regression of his soul.

The Doctor slowly lifted his gaze from the cold weapon and looked Pete in the eyes. "I can't. I just can't," he insisted, willing Pete to understand. "And it's _because_ of Rose that I can't. She made me a better man than that. I can save them both without it. But if I take it, I don't know if I could save myself."

Pete held his gaze for a moment, and the two seemed to reach a silent understanding. He nodded slightly and withdrew the weapon.

"Good luck, Doctor," he offered. With that, he left the TARDIS and turned to watch as it dematerialized. "_Please_ let this work," Pete whispered to himself, then looked at his watch and began counting the critical passage of minutes.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor set the coordinates for the location where Rose was being held.

"Don't give up, Rose," he whispered through the air and hoped with all his hearts she could sense his words to her. "I'm coming, love," he vowed. "I'm coming."

-:-

The Doctor landed the TARDIS a short distance from the area, in the seclusion of the woods nearby. He activated his own cloaking device and placed the other in his pocket. He then slipped out of the TARDIS and cautiously made his way across the property and approached the building, which unbeknownst to those inside was now fully-visible to him. Very carefully, he made his way to the front and, using the sonic screwdriver, was able to literally pass right through the front door.

Once inside, he scanned for Rose's biosignature. As soon as he had her location, he headed for that direction. He passed several people along the way, but in his cloaked state went completely unnoticed by them.

Meanwhile, Rose sat on the small cot with her arms wrapped around herself, trying to maintain her breathing. She'd had several more contractions, each one a little stronger than the last. She forced herself to stay quiet and not cry out. The last thing she wanted was for them to discover she was in labor, though she knew she wouldn't be able to hide it for long. Rose had never felt more terrified. As soon as the baby was born, she knew they would immediately take her.

Just then, she heard someone at the door. Her heart started pounding. "_No_," she thought to herself. "_Please, no_!"

The door opened, and at first she saw no one. Until the cloaking device was deactivated and she saw the Doctor materialize in front of her, utter relief washing over his face the instant he laid eyes on her. "Rose!" he whispered. "Oh, Rose!" Tears welled up in his eyes as he crossed the few strides over to her and reached out to take her in his arms. But to his dismay, Rose backed away from him.

"This is the last thing I need right now," she whispered to herself. She squeezed her eyes shut. "You're not real. You're not real," she repeated.

His hearts clenched. What had they done to her? The Doctor cautiously stepped closer and held his hand out.

"Rose," he said gently, "it's me. I'm here. It's okay."

Slowly, Rose opened her eyes. She looked back and forth between his face and his outstretched hand. Tentatively, she reached her hand towards his. A sob escaped her lips as he took her hand firmly in his grasp.

He closed the distance between them and enfolded her in his arms. Rose buried her face in his chest as she clung to him, her body shaking.

"I'm here," he assured her as he stroked her hair. "I'm here."

The Doctor whispered words of love, apology, and comfort. He was so overcome with emotion that he wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore, it may have just been nonsense. Part of it was in English and part in Gallifreyan but he didn't care. All that mattered was that he had Rose in his arms once again. He found her and she was alive and that was all that mattered.

He gently eased her back from him and looked into her eyes. "Rose, we have to move quickly. I'm getting you out of here, okay?" Rose nodded, still too overcome to speak.

He held out both devices in his hand. "These will keep us from being detected," he explained. "All we have to do is walk right out. The TARDIS is just outside."

He took her by the hand and headed for the door as she grabbed him by the arm to still him. He turned back and gave her a questioning look.

"Doctor," Rose began, her voice trembling, "I'm in labor."

The Doctor froze as his eyes went wide. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Rose gave him a look that said, _do you really have to ask_?

He quickly pulled himself together. "Right. Of course you're sure." Then he managed a smile as he placed a hand on her belly. "It's okay, Rose. Our baby is coming, and that's a _good_ thing! I'll have you out of here in no time and into the TARDIS. Everything is going to be fine."

Rose shook her head, her eyes and her voice frightened. "But it's too soon," she objected.

He took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Not by that much," he said calmly. "She'll be just fine. Our baby is strong and healthy. You did that, Rose. You kept her safe."

They were suddenly interrupted as the door abruptly swung open and Carl Lethridge strode in. The Doctor protectively positioned Rose behind himself. He immediately recognized the face from the file images Torchwood had on the infamous man. He could feel the bile rising up in his throat as he stared down the one responsible for causing Rose such anguish. Yet at the same time he felt strangely calm. He had Rose with him once again, and her love soothed over his feelings of hatred. Only his Rose could cause that change in him.

"Well, isn't this a charming scene," Lethridge sarcastically remarked. "And this makes everything so, so perfect. Now I have you both. You see, I _allowed_ you to walk in here, fully-aware of your presence the entire time. I've wanted to get my hands on you as well, but I knew that might be a bit trickier, taking two at once. So all I had to do was let you come to me. Did you really think your simple perception device could work in hiding yourself from me?" he asked. "You underestimate my capabilities."

The Doctor shrugged. "I suppose it worked about as well as yours did in hiding yourself from _me_," he replied back, voice deathly calm. "You underestimated _my_ capabilities. Otherwise you never would have brought this on yourself."

Lethridge waved his hand dismissively. "Any capabilities you think you possess are of no consequence now. I have you, and that's what I wanted. And it appears you came here alone. That was very foolish of you, but also predictable from what I've seen. You came sauntering in like the hero, but now _you're_ the one who needs rescuing. And there's no one here to save you. Either of you. Even if you told Torchwood of your whereabouts, they can hardly penetrate a building they can't even see or detect, now can they?"

The Doctor held his gaze for a moment, then his lips twitched in a half smile. "Do you _really_ think that when I discovered this site I left your cloaking shields in place? Right now you're about as undetectable as a beacon on a hill," he informed him.

Lethridge's expression suddenly became thunderous. He reached in his jacket, pulled out a gun and pointed it at the Doctor. "That was a deathly-stupid move," he said as he cocked the weapon. "Because that means I'll just have to forgo the entertainment and kill you now."

"NO!" Rose screamed as he pointed it at the Doctor's head and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

He pulled the trigger again and again but still nothing.

The Doctor reached in his jacket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "Firing mechanism jammed?" he asked casually while twirling the sonic between his fingers. "What a shame."

Lethridge angrily threw the gun aside. "Guards!" he roared.

The Doctor lunged at him, grabbed him by the upper body and threw him against the opposite wall. He then took Rose by the hand, pressed the sonic to the lock and ran from the room, slamming the door behind them.

As they began running down the hall, they heard footsteps rapidly approaching from both directions. The Doctor quickly ducked into a stairwell, pulling Rose behind him. They pressed their backs up against the wall beside the door as they waited for the guards to pass by. Just then, Rose was suddenly gripped with the pain of another contraction. The Doctor squeezed her hand and placed his other on her cheek reassuringly as she struggled to fight through the pain in silence. He wished he could share the pain and help ease it for her like they had discussed, but at the moment they were not in the position to be able to do that. His focus had to remain on getting them out of there.

"Take deep breaths," he whispered soothingly. "That's it."

Slowly, the pain eased up and her face relaxed fractionally. "I don't think we can make it out to the TARDIS on foot," he whispered. "We need to get to their transporter."

Rose nodded in agreement. "I know where it is. It's on the west end of the building, further onward in the direction we were heading," she told him.

The Doctor stole a look out the door then ducked back in. "We can't go back out there now. This place is crawling with guards. And it's only a matter of time before they find us in here," he added.

He quickly glanced around at their surroundings, and his eyes fell upon the opening to a ventilation shaft on the wall within arm's reach above them. He scanned it with the sonic.

"This follows along the corridor for several meters ahead. Do you think you can manage it?" he asked quietly.

"I s'pose I'll have to," Rose whispered.

As silently as possible, he removed the cover. The Doctor placed it down on the floor and was straightening back up when Rose clutched at his arm. He turned towards her and saw the look of horror on her face.

"Rose, what's wrong?" he asked quietly in concern.

She looked down at the floor and back up at him, her eyes wide. "My water just broke!" she replied, her voice rising slightly above a whisper. She knew her contractions would be coming more rapidly now, and she feared it wouldn't be long at all before she was ready to give birth.

He took both her hands in his. "Rose, look at me. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise. Everything is going to be okay," he assured her.

Rose nodded, wanting to believe he was right. He turned and pulled himself up into the opening, then positioned himself and took hold of Rose by the arms and lifted her towards him. Once inside, they began crawling as silently as possible.

Every few feet, there was a grated cover where they could see the corridor below and the personnel who hurried by in both directions.

_How many times will I end up in a ventilation shaft trying to escape with my life_? Rose thought to herself. Being chased by possessed Ood had been bad enough, but at least she hadn't been in labor at the time.

As they continued along cautiously, Rose was hit with another contraction, this one stronger than the last. She grabbed the Doctor's shoulder, signaling him to stop. He looked back at her and saw her face contorted in pain. He scooted back and wrapped his arms around her as she lay against him, fighting through the contraction. A group of guards walked past directly below them, and Rose buried her face in the Doctor's chest to muffle the sound of her cries. The Doctor held her tightly to him, stroking her hair in a soothing manner. The pain began to ease, and she slowly lifted her head. Rose gave him a small nod, letting him know it was okay to continue. He kissed her forehead, then resumed their silent passage.

They continued along for several more meters, then reached the end of the line. "This is as far as it goes," the Doctor whispered. "We're going to have to go down through here," he said, gesturing to the opening which led into another room.

Rose nodded. He scanned the room with the sonic to make sure it was empty. Once he was certain it was clear, he removed the ventilation cover and jumped down into the room below. He then reached his arms up and caught Rose as she slid through the opening. They peered around at the room which appeared to be an office. He looked back at Rose and placed his hand on the side of her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She gave him a half smile. "I've been better. But I'll be okay as soon as we're out of here."

With Rose's hand in his, he turned to head for the door. Before they could reach it, it was suddenly flung open as Carl Lethridge burst into the room, apparently having gotten out of the cell and tracked their movements. Rose gasped in alarm and the Doctor took a step back and positioned himself between Rose and the man now holding what appeared to be a laser weapon on them.

The Doctor could hear helicopters outside. Torchwood had arrived. He just needed to stall for a few minutes and then they would be free.

"I told you," Lethridge said calmly, "you will _never_ make it out of here alive."

"It's over," the Doctor replied. "Torchwood is already here. You don't have a chance." The Doctor cautiously raised his hand. "Put down the weapon," he urged. "End this now and don't make things worse for yourself than they already are. As much as you might deserve it, you don't have to die today."

"But _you_ do. And I _am_ going to end this now, I assure you. The only question is…which one of you do I kill first?"

He stepped around the Doctor so he was within range of Rose. The Doctor moved simultaneously to continue shielding her, but was ordered to stop.

"Stay where you are!" Lethridge commanded. "And don't bother trying to disarm the weapon. _This_ one is impervious to disruption by sonic waves."

He aimed the laser weapon directly at Rose. "You know what they say, ladies first."

It was in that moment that everything seemed to happen at once. As the trigger was pulled, the Doctor launched himself in front of Rose, using his body as a shield. Just as the shot was fired, Jake and Pete burst into the room. Jake fired a gun at Lethridge, killing him instantly with a shot to the head and finally bringing to an end his reign of terror.

He had been seconds too late, however, to stop Lethridge from firing the fatal weapon.

"NO!" Rose screamed, as the sound of the two shots echoed through the room.

The Doctor looked down at the gaping hole in his chest with blood rapidly leaking from the wound, then lifted his eyes back to Rose. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."

With that, he collapsed to the floor as Rose's screams filled the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N **Last chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for coming along on this final installment to this series.

* * *

Rose dropped to her knees beside the fallen Doctor and cradled his head in her lap as Jake rushed over and began applying emergency pressure to the life-threatening wound in his chest.

Pete immediately radioed for help. "This is Gemini. Get a fix on my location and send medics down here. Now!"

"You're gonna be okay, you hear me?" came Rose's trembling voice. "It can't end like this! We've been through too much to get to this point only have it end now. I _won't_ let this take you from me, I swear. I promised you forever, and we've only just begun! Hold on…just hold on!"

Her body draped over him as she pressed her forehead to his. "I told you not to die for me!" she sobbed, the words she had spoken to him days before now replaying in her mind.

Weakly, the Doctor raised his hand and placed it on her face. "I'm not dying for you, Rose," he rasped out. "I'm going to _live_ for you."

Pete knelt beside them and placed a hand on the Doctor's arm. "Help is on the way," he assured. "The medics will be here any minute. You're going to be fine."

The Doctor slowly shook his head. "There's nothing they can do," he hissed through the pain.

"Don't say that," Pete admonished. "You'll be alright. We'll get you to Torchwood Medical. Fix you right up, they will."

The Doctor drew a stuttering breath, his words breaking with the effort it took to produce them. "No time. I'm…going to have to t-test…my theory of my body still being able to…r-repair itself even if I can't regenerate fully."

He lifted his hand and gazed at the faint, telltale glow that was now beginning to emanate from it. "It's started," he wheezed. "Help me stand up. Please."

Pete, Rose and Jake exchanged glances and came to a silent agreement. They had no other options. Rose stood back as Pete and Jake helped him to his feet. The Doctor placed his hand on the wall to steady himself and told the others to stand back.

Pete held Rose in a protective embrace as the Doctor's entire body began to radiate with energy. They had to shield their eyes as the light intensified. Rose had once begged the Doctor not to change as he was regenerating, but in this moment she didn't care if he became a new man or not, just as long as he lived.

The intense glow enveloped his entire being, but just before reaching the point of a full-on eruption of energy, it gradually began to dissipate. The Doctor staggered back as the regeneration energy coursing through him came to a sudden stop. He quickly looked down at the now healed wound in his chest, probing it with fingers that were still tingling.

"Blimey!" he gasped. "I seem to have developed a pattern of getting shot and then partially regenerating. Nasty habit, that."

Rose rushed forward and threw her arms around him, holding him as tight and close as she could despite the large protrusion of her belly making it difficult. "I thought I was gonna lose you!" she murmured into his neck.

"Not if I can help it," he promised.

Jake just stared in open-mouthed shock, even more gobsmacked than when he'd witnessed the TARDIS dematerialize for the first time.

"W-what," he stammered, "what was _that_?!"

Pete gave him a pat on the back. "_That _was the Doctor for you. Apparently nothing should surprise us anymore when it comes to him."

Rose pulled back from the Doctor's embrace and placed a hand on his still blood-soaked chest, feeling the miraculous solidity beneath her hand and the strong beats of his hearts, assuring herself that he was really okay. Just then, another powerful contraction suddenly seized her, and she sank to her knees in pain. The Doctor knelt beside her and looked up at Pete.

"I need to get her to the TARDIS. Now!"

"We'll have to go on foot. We disabled their transport system when we took the building," Pete informed him.

The Doctor and Pete each took Rose by an arm and helped her stand.

"You're in charge here," Pete delegated over his shoulder to Jake as they led Rose from the room.

"Good luck!" Jake called out as they swiftly headed down the hall.

The journey seemed long and agonizing, but in little more than five minutes they had reached the TARDIS. Upon entering, the Doctor stopped briefly at the console to set the coordinates for departure. Even with the threat now over, he didn't want Rose or the baby anywhere near this place a minute longer.

He and Pete then helped Rose to the infirmary and onto the bed. The Doctor had set the TARDIS to land back at the safety of Rose's London flat, and Jackie was already there waiting. Pete had phoned to let her know the minute her daughter had been found and assured her the Doctor would be returning with Rose soon. She wasted no time getting to the flat and had been anxiously waiting for their return.

As soon as she heard the blessed sound of the TARDIS materializing, she ran to it, through open the doors and hurried through the ship in search for Rose. Upon finding them in the infirmary, she rushed to Rose's side, enveloping her in an embrace of utter relief.

"Oh, Rose," she half sobbed.

She then fully registered that they were in the infirmary and Rose appeared to be in distress. "Are you okay, sweetheart? Are you hurt? What's happened?" she asked in growing concern.

"The baby's coming, Mum!" Rose replied, half in excitement and half in fear.

Jackie reached up and stroked her daughter's head. "Oh, sweetheart, you'll be just fine," she said reassuringly. "Remember what you told me – you're in the best of hands, yeah?"

Rose smiled faintly and nodded. Jackie then looked up at the Doctor, a look of horror instantly overtaking her face at the sight of his blood-stained chest.

The Doctor followed her gaze down to his soiled shirt then back up to her. "It's a long story," he supplied quickly. "But trust me, everything's fine now."

Jackie just continued to gape at him. Pete came over and put his arm around his wife. "Come on, Jacks," he urged. "Let's give them some space. The Doctor can take over from here."

Jackie turned back to Rose and took her hand, giving a squeeze. "We'll be right outside. You can do this, Rose," she encouraged. "Everything's gonna be fine." She then looked back to the Doctor. "Take care of her, Doctor," she said earnestly. "Both of them."

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I will. I promise."

Jackie and Pete left the room, and the Doctor turned his sole attention to Rose. He leaned forward and kissed her softly, then stroked her hair, whispering words of encouragement.

He helped Rose get comfortable, then moved to the end of the bed and lifted the sheet to check her progress.

"You're nearly 6 centimeters dilated," he announced. "You've made a lot of progress, but there's still a bit more to go."

Rose cried out as she felt another contraction coming on. The Doctor moved to her side and took her hand. "Just remember to breathe," he said, trying to interject lightness in his tone. "Breathing's good."

"Shut up," Rose panted, half in annoyance but unable to hide the slight smile that crept to her face. It soon disappeared as the contraction intensified, along with her grip on his hand.

The Doctor brushed the hair back from her face as the pain eased up. "Are you ready to try what we talked about?" he asked.

Rose shook her head no. "Don't want to hurt you," she said breathlessly.

The Doctor swelled with love at her words. His Rose never ceased to amaze him. Not that he was overly experienced with this sort of thing, but it seemed a universal constant for laboring women to be screaming at the male for having done this to them. Yet here she was in the midst of her agony, concerned with causing _him_ pain.

"Rose," he said gently, "we're in this together, remember? We're a team – Shiver and Shake, and all that. You're not alone in this, Rose. Let me share this with you."

Rose bit her lip in hesitation, but as the beginnings of another contraction hit, she relented and nodded in consent. The Doctor placed his fingers on her temple to fully open the link. They didn't usually need physical contact to initiate their connection, but Rose was more than a little preoccupied at the moment and needed assistance.

"Try to focus on giving me what you're feeling," he encouraged.

She did, and the Doctor was suddenly hit with a portion of the pain she was feeling. Not quite prepared for such intensity, he sank to his knees beside the bed, struggling to keep his fingers in contact with her temple. He was just glad Donna couldn't see him right then. He could just imagine what she'd say – the almighty Time Lord brought to his knees from a few seconds of the pain that was only a fraction of what Rose was experiencing.

The Doctor regained his wits and realized he wasn't exactly doing his part here. He was supposed to be dulling the sensation to help ease her pain. He gathered his concentration and focused on helping her through this.

With the next several contractions, they established a rhythm of giving and taking and sharing the pain as he tried to help ease it. Their combined efforts gave Rose a measure of relief. It didn't completely stop the pain, but it helped take the edge off.

Nevertheless, the labor was beginning to take its toll on Rose, and she was becoming increasingly drained. The Doctor had feared that her ordeal during the past several days might cause complications with the delivery, and he soon discovered his fear to be a reality.

While connected so deeply, he was not only able to feel Rose's pain, but _see_ it. Her psyche was sapped of control and she was not able to shield what was transmitted to him through their shared connection. He saw her thoughts – her recent memories as if they were his own. One in particular was assaulting her again and again.

She had been tortured.

That psychopathic monster had inflicted physical suffering upon her. It had nearly killed her and their unborn child. The Doctor was almost sick at the revelation of just how bad the final hours of her captivity had been.

Rose knew he had seen. She could feel his anger and sheer anguish through their link. She would have no doubt shielded this from him if she could, deciding the centuries of burdens upon his shoulders were already far more than enough. So even still, she sought to mitigate his own distress.

"It…wasn't so bad," she rasped faintly, attempting a feeble smile.

"Oh, Rose," he choked. "Never, _never_ will anyone touch so much as a hair on your head ever again. I swear it. I _swear_ it." Instinctively needing to ease _this_ pain for her too, he sought after the harsh memories and flooded over them with his comfort and reassurance. It didn't erase the pain, but just like the other form of relief he was currently providing her, it helped to ease it.

The after-effects of the ordeal were not over, though. Several minutes later, an alarm sounded on one of the numerous machines monitoring her condition. A rapid assessment gave him the grim news. The placenta had prematurely separated from the wall of the uterus, and Rose was now beginning to hemorrhage. Such a condition could be caused by extreme physical stress, and the trial of the past several days had undoubtedly led to this, along with the premature labor.

Working as rapidly as he possibly could, the Doctor was able to administer something to stop the bleeding, but she had already lost a massive amount of blood in the time it took to halt the crisis. It was in that moment when the changes to Rose's body became a double-edged sword. She was no longer compatible to receive a human blood transfusion, but she wasn't similar enough to a Time Lord to receive blood from him. Her body would eventually compensate due to its enhanced healing ability, but she had to be sustained long enough to make it to that point.

In her now-weakened state, Rose was beginning to lose consciousness, and the Doctor was rapidly growing more and more concerned.

"Rose, stay with me," he said urgently.

"So tired…," she murmured.

He took her face in his hands. "I know you are, love. But you need to stay awake. Can you do that for me? Just a little longer, I promise. Our baby will be here before you know it, and you're both going to be just fine. This will all be over soon."

Rose slowly opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him. She knew. It was evident in her eyes that she knew how critical her condition was becoming. "I love you," she whispered. "I promised you forever, and I don't want to leave you. But if I do, this time you won't be alone. You'll have our daughter, and a part of me will always be with you," she finished softly, beginning to give in to the weariness that was quickly claiming her.

The Doctor shook his head and had to fight back the tears stinging he eyes. He didn't want her to see his desperation. "No, Rose. I won't be alone because I'll have _both_ of you. She and I need you. I can't live without you, Rose." He could no longer fight the tears that were now tracking down his face. A part of him wanted to rage in hatred at the man who had caused her such physical distress and brought her to this point. But overpowering even the intensity of that emotion was one of anguish. How could he possibly survive one more unthinkable, savage loss? Would there be anything left of him if Rose were ripped from his life, too?

Rose, knowing his very soul, strove to save him from himself one more time. "W-whatever happens, don't you _dare_ let this take away who you are. Because who you are inside is the greatest man I've ever known. Even if you couldn't see it, I _could_. Don't let anything ever change that. Please." She reached up and touched his cheek, her voice now a hoarse whisper. "And tell her… Tell our daughter how much I love her. Even if I never held her in my arms, I held her in my heart."

"Rose!" he cried in desperation. "I won't let you go. I won't! You have to hang on. You have to fight!"

"'M sorry," she whispered as her eyes slipped shut and she lost consciousness.

"No, Rose!" he cried out again. "Stay with me…_please_. You can do this!"

There was no response.

The Doctor had to reach her, had to push her to keep fighting with all she had. There was only one way he could do that. He closed his eyes and focused on merging fully with her mind. As he did, he could see Rose's faint essence.

He surrounded her dwindling life force with his own and drew her with him into his own mind. He carried her back to the place he had shown her on their wedding night when they first bonded – back to the hill overlooking Gallifrey.

_Rose felt total peace. Total calm. The agony and chaos of the labor and its complications faded away like morning mist swept clear by a summer breeze. _

_She found herself standing beside the Doctor, and she inwardly thought that this might be their last moment together. He turned towards her and took her hand, his own voice and demeanor now placid as they communed in the safe cocoon of this sacred place._

_"There's something I need you to see. Look at the timelines, Rose."_

_He indicated the expanse before then. The Gallifreyan scape faded, and now, between the Mountains of Solace and Solitude swirled timelines extending even beyond where the eye could see. She was gazing upon their own timeline, currently stretched out before her. Within the whirl of light and life and possibility now existed that of the baby's as well, their child's own thread branching out from them. As Rose watched, the baby's thread seemed to fracture and spread in a thousand directions. _

_"It's shattering," Rose said fearfully. "Does that mean the baby…?"_

_He placed his hand on her cheek, turning her eyes to his as he smiled widely. "It's not shattering. It's branching out," he explained, his voice filled with awe. "Branching out to the farthest reaches of the universe. This is the Time Lords reborn. A brand new race. You did this, Rose. You've given my people back to me. And you and I will both live to see this day. Together." _

_"I don't know if I can,"__ she whispered, voice breaking as she recalled the fragile state of her corporeal form. _

_"Oh, Rose, if there is one thing I've learned, it's that there is nothing you can't do," he affirmed. _

_The Doctor took both her hands in his firm grasp. "You can do this. I know you can. But you have to come back to me. Fight for this, Rose Tyler. For me, for us, for our offspring. It's time to bring our baby into the world."_

With that, he slipped from her mind and was once again looking into Rose's pale, lifeless face. Her pulse was dangerously low and the baby was becoming distressed. But he feared surgery was too risky for Rose in her weakened state if he were to take the baby by C-section.

She rallied for a brief moment, her pulse rising, and he knew his remarkable Rose was indeed fighting. She could not, however, hold out much longer. In the precious few moments her burgeoning strength had given him, his mind continued racing with thoughts of what to do. It was then the answer came to him.

His body was still buzzing with energy from his own brush with death and partial regeneration. If he could impart some of that restorative power to Rose, it might be enough to get her through this.

In the same way he had once taken deadly power from her, he now gave her life-sustaining energy: with a kiss. As he parted her mouth and touched his lips to hers, he breathed the golden energy into her being.

He eased back, golden wisps mingling between their shared breaths .The seconds ticked by in agonizing slowness as he waited for any sign that the desperate effort had been enough.

Gradually, her pulse began to strengthen, as did the baby's, and the color of life returned to her cheeks. Her heart rate became steady even as his galloped uncontrollably. Rose slowly opened her eyes and was met by his gaze, brimming with utter joy and relief.

"Hello," she whispered.

He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he stroked her cheek. "Oh, Rose. I knew you could do it!" He touched his forehead to hers and whispered. "I knew you could." He eased back, eyes growing strong, steady and resolved. "And you can finish this," he encouraged. "I know you can. We're almost there. I know you're exhausted and you've been through so much, but on the next contraction, I need you to try to push, okay?"

Rose took in a deep, strengthening breath and nodded. She felt the next contraction coming and the urge to push. She summoned all the strength within her and began to bear down.

"That's it!" he cried. "Just a little more, then take a breath."

Rose dropped her head back to the bed, breathing heavily as she prepared for the next round of pushing. With the next contraction, she pushed hard once again, the Doctor encouraging her every step of the way.

She managed to push through several more contractions, though growing more weary each time.

"You're doing it, Rose! That's it! I can see her head!" he finally cried out excitedly.

Rose was panting hard as the Doctor urged her to push once more.

She shook her head weakly from side to side. "Can't," she breathed. "I can't do this anymore."

The Doctor reached up and squeezed her hand. "Yes you can!" he encouraged. "You're doing it right now, and you're amazing! Just a little more and our baby will be here, Rose. You can do this, I know you can!"

Taking a deep breath and gathering every last bit of her strength, she began to push one last time.

"She's coming, Rose! That's it! She's almost here!"

Rose cried out as the pain and strenuous labor of the past few hours culminated in this one, final moment. She continued to push with all she had as the baby slipped from her body and into the Doctor's grasp.

"You did it! Oh, Rose you did it!" He was crying tears of joy as their baby let out her first loud wail. The baby was crying loud and strong, and they had never heard a more glorious sound.

After checking that her airways were clear, the Doctor cut the cord, then wrapped the baby in a blanket and placed her on Rose's chest. He had seen life begin a thousand times over in countless ways during his exceedingly long existence, but never had he experienced a miracle such as this. He kissed Rose on the forehead, his voice trembling as he murmured into her hair. "I love you, Rose. Oh, I love you so much." Then he pulled back and smiled widely. "You did it!"

Rose smiled tiredly back at him. "_We_ did it." She then looked back down at the baby in her arms. "Oh, just look at what we did. We_ made_ her," she remarked in awe.

The Doctor took the baby's tiny pink hand between his fingers. "The stuff of legend, we are," he said proudly.

"Quite right, too," she replied back.

The Doctor was wholly overwhelmed with the intensity of love he had for Rose and their new daughter. He gazed at them both with unadulterated awe. Rose's hair was drenched in sweat and she looked like she had been through a gory battle. But to him she had never been more beautiful than she was at this moment.

After several precious moments together, the Doctor cleaned up all three of them, then invited Jackie and Pete to come meet their new granddaughter.

"Oh…," Jackie gasped as she stepped closer, "Oh, Rose, she's beautiful!" she exclaimed softly as she gazed at the baby in Rose's arms. Her eyes then scanned her daughter's wearied face. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

Rose rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder as he sat beside her on the infirmary bed. "Exhausted." Then she looked up at him and smiled. "But the Doctor took good care of us both." Rose shifted the sleeping baby in her arms. "Would you like to hold her and say hello?"

Jackie's eyes began to mist with tears as she took the baby in her arms for the first time. Pete stepped closer to get a proper look. The child was a marvel, a perfect blending of two species and the creation of something entirely new. But all Jackie saw was her beloved baby granddaughter. "Hello. Oh, you precious little thing," she cooed. "Look at you, you're perfect. You look just like your mum when she was born."

The Doctor stood up and stepped closer to the baby, his fingers already itching to touch her again. He had to keep assuring himself that she was real, that she was actually his. It hardly seemed possible. He'd thought himself damaged and marred and tainted beyond hope for so long, the darkness significantly dulled but still lurking even after Rose had entered his life. Was it possible for something so pure and flawless to have come from him? Her tiny hand gripped his finger as he reached his hand towards her. Such a miniscule action, yet profound. Another portion of his soul was healed in that moment.

"Would you like to hold her, Pete?" the Doctor asked, wanting to share his family with those who had accepted him into their own.

Pete smiled. "If you can pry her away from her grandmum."

Pete had never seen a man so full of pride as the Doctor took the baby in his arms and passed her to him, grinning so wide it looked like his face might split in two.

"Hello, beautiful," Pete greeted softly. "I can't wait to get to know you. And if you're anything like your mum and dad, you're going to be quite the handful."

The proud parents both grinned as the Doctor sat back down beside Rose and wrapped his arm around her. Jackie looked up at them both.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Pete queried.

They looked at each other blankly. "We…still haven't decided," Rose admitted.

"Well, whatever you choose, I know it will be just perfect for her," Jackie said, now having no doubts in the creative abilities of these two if her granddaughter was anything to go by.

-:-

As soon as Rose was feeling strong enough, the Doctor transferred her from the infirmary and settled her and the baby into their room. He sat beside her on the bed as she cradled their newborn daughter in her arms.

Rose ran her hand gently over the baby's whisper-soft hair and grinned at the way light brown wisps stuck up on top at all angles, just like her father's. She _was_ a beautiful baby, if the Doctor and Rose did say so themselves. She had the Doctor's aforementioned hair but also his wide, expressive eyes, along with Rose's apple cheeks and Cupid's bow mouth. Her eyes were so innocent and full of life, yet at the same time there was something undeniably ancient deep within.

The Doctor didn't think there was anyone in all the universe who had ever brimmed with as much joy as he did in this moment. After all he had lost in life, all the suffering he had endured, he never in his wildest dreams imagined that his existence would one day be graced with such a gift. His mind drifted to the Time Lord in the other universe who himself had been given a new start, and he hoped that somehow, someday, his counterpart might be afforded a measure of this same peace.

He looked at Rose – his wife, the mother of his child, his bond mate, his _everything_ – and breathed deeply as he placed his hand on the side of her face, reverently stroking her cheek with his thumb. How many times had seemingly hopeless situations threatened to separate them? Yet here they were, overcoming the impossible time and again and still together against all odds.

"You know what?" he began, his eyes twinkling as they met hers. "They keep on trying to split us up, but they never ever will."

Rose smiled back, utterly spent but utterly happy. "I thought you were the one who said, 'never say never ever'," she reminded him.

"Ah, but _that_," he responded, "was before I'd come to realize that it couldn't possibly apply to you and me. And before I knew about our incredible destiny that was waiting for us."

He gazed back down at his contented daughter in Rose's arms and gently traced his finger down her plump, rosy cheek.

"Our _beautiful_ destiny," he repeated in a whisper.

He and Rose slowly lifted their eyes to each other as matching smiles spread across both their faces.

Rose looked back down at the baby, and one look confirmed it. "I think we've finally found your name, little one. You were here waiting for us all along – through denials and regenerations and battles and parallel universes and Dimension Cannons and Metacrises. Just took your mum and dad a bit to catch up, was all. But you were always waiting. Destiny Tyler."

Rose looked back to the Doctor with a questioning gaze, though she needn't have wondered. "What do you think?"

His mega-watt grin, which now seemed as if it had always been in practice for just this moment, lit up his entire face. "Brilliant!"

He leaned forward as Rose met him halfway, and they kissed softly and slowly as little Destiny cooed happily between them. This, both realized, was the meaning of perfection.

Oh, they were acquainted with reality well enough to know it might not always seem that way. There would be the challenges of raising a child of mixed lineage. She would be given experiences most children could never have, but at the cost of a 'typical' childhood. And there was the pressing burden of keeping her safe in an often perilous universe. And sobering of all was the knowledge that with the greatest gift the Doctor had ever known came the possibility of the greatest loss, should the unimaginable ever even attempt to take place.

These, however, were thoughts not meant for a moment such as this. No. For just this once, all was right in the universe. And if the universe ever decided to say otherwise, it quite possibly would meet its ultimate match in this Family of Time.

Time itself sang a lullaby as its newest offspring slept, and the Doctor and Rose were certain of one thing: The greatest adventure of all had only just begun.


End file.
